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| Rowan Williams: government is 'foot-dragging' over Calais child refugees | Rowan Williams: government is 'foot-dragging' over Calais child refugees |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Rowan Williams, the former archbishop of Canterbury, has warned that the safety of up to 400 unaccompanied children stranded in the Calais refugee camp is being put at risk by the government’s “foot-dragging”. | Rowan Williams, the former archbishop of Canterbury, has warned that the safety of up to 400 unaccompanied children stranded in the Calais refugee camp is being put at risk by the government’s “foot-dragging”. |
| Speaking on the day the Home Office said 14 children from the camp arrived in Britain, he said the “clock is ticking” for the remainder because of the imminent 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 was speaking in Croydon, south London, where the children’s resettlement was scheduled to be processed by the Home Office. | Lord Williams was speaking in Croydon, south London, where the children’s resettlement was scheduled to be processed by the Home Office. |
| The department later confirmed that the young people, aged 14-17, were transferred on Monday morning. They will be assessed and screened and may be cared for in specialist accommodation before being reunited with their relatives. | The department later confirmed that the young people, aged 14-17, were transferred on Monday morning. They will be assessed and screened and may be cared for in specialist accommodation before being reunited with their relatives. |
| One man, Asif Khan, who was waiting outside the Croydon immigration centre, said his 14-year-old brother, Aimal, was among those children. Khan, 25, is a chef who has been living in the UK for 11 years after fleeing Afghanistan. | One man, Asif Khan, who was waiting outside the Croydon immigration centre, said his 14-year-old brother, Aimal, was among those children. Khan, 25, is a chef who has been living in the UK for 11 years after fleeing Afghanistan. |
| He said: “I really appreciate this. My brother was in Calais for the last six months. It was a blessing to receive him from there – I’m really happy. His journey was so difficult, it was by walking, by bus to Calais. He gets a new life now, because there are many people who died in Calais.” | He said: “I really appreciate this. My brother was in Calais for the last six months. It was a blessing to receive him from there – I’m really happy. His journey was so difficult, it was by walking, by bus to Calais. He gets a new life now, because there are many people who died in Calais.” |
| Asked what he would say to his brother when he saw him for the first time in more than a decade, Khan replied: “I will just hug him because I haven’t seen him since I left – I just miss him. I came across the same way 11 years ago; every night was hell for me, so I’m relieved he is here.” | Asked what he would say to his brother when he saw him for the first time in more than a decade, Khan replied: “I will just hug him because I haven’t seen him since I left – I just miss him. I came across the same way 11 years ago; every night was hell for me, so I’m relieved he is here.” |
| Earlier, Williams said the refugee children were “extraordinarily vulnerable” in the “chaos of the camp and the chaos of the demolition”. | Earlier, Williams said the refugee children 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 up to 400 children remaining in Calais. “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 up to 400 children remaining in Calais. “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.” |
| 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). | 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). |
| 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. | 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. |
| “We are concerned that buses may at some point arrive for the children, and the pushy 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.” | “We are concerned that buses may at some point arrive for the children, and the pushy 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.” |
| Last week, the home secretary, Amber Rudd, indicated that the UK would accept unaccompanied children with or 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| Meanwhile, the 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.” | Meanwhile, the 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.” | 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. | 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.” | “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.” |