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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| French action urged over Calais asylum-seeker children | French action urged over Calais asylum-seeker children |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| England's children's commissioner has asked the French government to help lone children in Calais's refugee camp reach relatives in the UK. | |
| Anne Longfield has written to French authorities to ask them to speed up the asylum claims of 150 children who may be eligible to travel to the UK. | |
| She also claims the French are not properly protecting lone children at the camp, saying 129 have gone missing. | She also claims the French are not properly protecting lone children at the camp, saying 129 have gone missing. |
| The children, some as young as 10, have fled fighting in Syria and elsewhere. | |
| In her letter, Ms Longfield expresses concern about children who are thought to have disappeared since the French authorities dismantled parts of the camp, known as the Jungle, earlier this year. | In her letter, Ms Longfield expresses concern about children who are thought to have disappeared since the French authorities dismantled parts of the camp, known as the Jungle, earlier this year. |
| "The charities working with them have tried hard to trace them and the authorities must do likewise," she said. | "The charities working with them have tried hard to trace them and the authorities must do likewise," she said. |
| 'Unacceptable' | 'Unacceptable' |
| Charity workers are also said to have identified the children who are potentially eligible to move to the UK because they have parents or siblings there. | Charity workers are also said to have identified the children who are potentially eligible to move to the UK because they have parents or siblings there. |
| Ms Longfield's call follows a visit to the camp to meet children living there alone while waiting for their cases to be reviewed. | Ms Longfield's call follows a visit to the camp to meet children living there alone while waiting for their cases to be reviewed. |
| She said: "I have asked the French authorities to urgently determine which of the children in the Calais refugee camp are eligible to come to the UK, to ensure their safety and to process their applications immediately. | She said: "I have asked the French authorities to urgently determine which of the children in the Calais refugee camp are eligible to come to the UK, to ensure their safety and to process their applications immediately. |
| "It is unacceptable that at the moment some are waiting up to nine months before they learn whether or not they can come. The camp is an incredibly dangerous place for an unaccompanied child." | |
| She said that while in the camp, children were exposed to trafficking, violence, abuse and illness. | She said that while in the camp, children were exposed to trafficking, violence, abuse and illness. |
| "We expect authorities in the UK to make sure vulnerable children in England are looked after and we expect nothing less of the French government." | "We expect authorities in the UK to make sure vulnerable children in England are looked after and we expect nothing less of the French government." |
| The French government has yet to comment on Ms Longfield's letter. |