Barbara Winton, daughter of 'British Schindler', urges May to rethink closure of Dubs refugee scheme

Barbara Winton, the daughter of Sir Nicholas Winton, known as the "British Schindler" for his efforts during the Second World War to save 669 children from the Nazis, has written a letter to Prime Minister Theresa May urging her to rethink the closure of the Dubs child refugee scheme. She called on the British prime minister to remember the work her father did and "do the right thing".

"As my father's MP I know he deeply valued the relationship he had with you towards the end of his life, and at his memorial you very generously described him as 'an enduring example of the difference that good people can make even in the darkest of times' and said: 'I hope that his life will serve as an inspiration for us all ... and encourage us to do the right thing'," Winton wrote in her open letter.

"As the world once again teeters on the edge of dark times, I ask you to remember those words."

The author of If It's Not Impossible..., a biography of her father's life, she brought to mind the US president's recent efforts to stop immigrants from entering his country as well.

"Donald Trump's refugee ban echoes the terrible failures of the human spirit that, on the eve of the Second World War, saw country after country close its borders to Jewish refugees in urgent need of protection.

"My father ... knew that each and every one of us share in a responsibility to our fellow men and women, a responsibility to offer sanctuary those fleeing persecution. 'If it's not impossible', he used to say, 'then surely something could and something must be done'," she added.

In an operation dubbed Czech Kindertransport, Nicholas Winton helped 669 children – mostly Jewish – to escape from Czechoslovakia and find safe passage to Britain where he also arranged for them to find homes. Alfred Dubs, one of the children rescued by Sir Winton went on to become a Labour politician who proposed the amendment to the Immigration Act 2016. This allowed unaccompanied refugee children safe passage to Britain, and later came to be known as the Dubs Amendment.

On 8 February, the government announced that only 350 child refugees will arrive under the scheme, as opposed to the 3000 that were being campaigned for. Following the news, Lord Dubs launched a petition urging the PM to reconsider the closure of the scheme. "Our country has a proud tradition of welcoming those most in need. We stepped up to rescue 10,000 Jewish children from Nazi persecution. I myself arrived in the UK by the Kindertransport," he wrote in the petition forward. "Now more than ever we must stand by our values. Thousands of children we promised to help are still in danger. Britain is better than this. Sign to keep the Dubs Scheme alive."

At the time of writing this article, 37,900 people had already signed the petition which is targeting a total of 100,000 signatures.