This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/oct/17/rowan-williams-stop-foot-dragging-over-calais-child-refugees

The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Rowan Williams: stop 'foot-dragging' over Calais child refugees Rowan Williams: government is 'foot-dragging' over Calais child refugees
(35 minutes later)
Former archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has warned that the safety of up to 400 unaccompanied children stranded in the Calais refugee camp is being affected by “foot-dragging” by the government. Former archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has warned that the safety of up to 400 unaccompanied children stranded in the Calais refugee camp is being put at risk by “foot-dragging” by the government.
Speaking as 14 children from the camp were due to arrive in Britain, he said the “clock is ticking” for the remainder because of the impending dismantling of the site.Speaking as 14 children from the camp were due to arrive in Britain, he said the “clock is ticking” for the remainder because of the impending dismantling of the site.
The children arriving on Monday are among about 100 to be resettled in the UK. They come from countries including Syria, Afghanistan and Kuwait’s stateless Bidoon community.The children arriving on Monday are among about 100 to be resettled in the UK. They come from countries including Syria, Afghanistan and Kuwait’s stateless Bidoon community.
Lord Williams, who was speaking in Croydon where the children were due to be processed by the Home Office, said the youngsters were “extraordinarily vulnerable” in the “chaos of the camp and the chaos of the demolition”.Lord Williams, who was speaking in Croydon where the children were due to be processed by the Home Office, said the youngsters were “extraordinarily vulnerable” in the “chaos of the camp and the chaos of the demolition”.
He called on the government to expedite the cases of those remaining at Calais, which he said could number 400. “I’m not sure why there is such foot-dragging,” Williams said at Croydon Minster. “The clock is ticking, the likelihood is the Calais camp will be demolished in the next 10 days.”He called on the government to expedite the cases of those remaining at Calais, which he said could number 400. “I’m not sure why there is such foot-dragging,” Williams said at Croydon Minster. “The clock is ticking, the likelihood is the Calais camp will be demolished in the next 10 days.”
Commenting on the impending arrival of the children, actor Juliet Stevenson said: “Today is a proud moment for Britain. We did the right thing.” Tina Brocklebank, a volunteer who has been conducting refugee counts with the charity L’Auberge des Migrants, said the most vulnerable children in Calais could miss out on being helped amid what she called a confusing census carried out by the charity France Terre d’Asile (FTDA).
Last week the home secretary, Amber Rudd, indicated that the UK would accept unaccompanied children with or without relatives in the UK. She said: “The FTDA registered a very small number of children on Friday and then shut the gate and told everyone to come back on Monday. It’s a despicable way to build up hopes, withhold and keep changing information and confuse everybody.
After a two-hour meeting last Monday with her French counterpart, Bernard Cazeneuve, she said the official effort would prioritise safeguarding children under 12. “We are concerned that buses may at some point arrive for the children, and the confident ones will get on while the most vulnerable ones will still be hiding in their shelters and tents – either because they don’t know what’s going on or will be too scared to get on a bus.”
But Williams said no process had yet been put in place to accept those children without relatives in the UK. Last week, the home secretary, Amber Rudd, indicated that the UK would accept unaccompanied children with or without relatives in the UK.
He said there was “a moral imperative” for the UK to accept those that did not have relatives already settled in the country. After a two-hour meeting last Monday with her French counterpart, Bernard Cazeneuve, she said the official effort would prioritise safeguarding children under 12. But Williams said no process had yet been put in place to accept those children without relatives in the UK.
“We’ve omitted to think what’s in their best interests and to consider whether we take more children,” he said. He said there was “a moral imperative” for the UK to accept those that did not have relatives already settled in the country. “We’ve omitted to think what’s in their best interests and to consider whether we take more children,” he said.
Under EU laws, a child seeking asylum who has a parent or a sibling in another European country can be fast-tracked to join them in that country.Under EU laws, a child seeking asylum who has a parent or a sibling in another European country can be fast-tracked to join them in that country.
Earlier this year Alf Dubs forced the government to agree to give sanctuary to some unaccompanied child refugees who have no relatives in the UK. Earlier this year, Alf Dubs forced the government to agree to give sanctuary to some unaccompanied child refugees who have no relatives in the UK.
Lord Dubs called for a “shared enterprise” between government and charitable organisations working to secure a future home for the children, many of whom have fled wars.Lord Dubs called for a “shared enterprise” between government and charitable organisations working to secure a future home for the children, many of whom have fled wars.
Stevenson, who is supporting Citizens UK’s Safe Passage programme, said: “The arrival of hundreds of vulnerable children from Calais to the UK in the coming days is in no small part due to the tireless campaigning of community leaders, the hard work of Citizens UK’s lawyers, and the Safe Passage team in Calais who have been working to safeguard children for over a year.” Meanwhile, actor Juliet Stevenson, who is supporting Citizens UK’s Safe Passage programme, said of Monday’s impending arrivals: “Today is a proud moment for Britain. We did the right thing.”
She added: “The arrival of hundreds of vulnerable children from Calais to the UK in the coming days is in no small part due to the tireless campaigning of community leaders, the hard work of Citizens UK’s lawyers, and the Safe Passage team in Calais who have been working to safeguard children for over a year.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We can confirm a group of children who left the Calais camp this morning have arrived in the UK. This is the start of the process to transfer as many eligible children as possible before the start of the clearance, as the home secretary set out in parliament.
“These vulnerable children, aged between 14 and 17, were transferred to the UK under the care of Home Office staff, with the support of volunteers from specialist NGOs and charities. They will join their families in the UK as quickly as possible over the coming days.”