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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| First Calais child migrants arrive at 'respite centre' in Devon | First Calais child migrants arrive at 'respite centre' in Devon |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A number of child migrants who were being sent to a temporary "respite centre" have been rejected because they are "too old", the BBC understands. | |
| Devon County Council said 23 children from the "Jungle" camp in Calais arrived at the temporary centre near Great Torrington. | |
| But Councillor James McInnes said the figure now stood at 20 after some were considered to be over 18. | |
| The all-male group arrived by bus at about 03:00 BST. | |
| More on the child migrants, plus other Devon and Cornwall news | More on the child migrants, plus other Devon and Cornwall news |
| Mr McInnes said Devon County Council was contacted last week by the Home Office about the site in north Devon. | |
| "I understand that a couple were rejected because they were considered to be too old," he said. "It goes up and down - it was 23 at one point this morning and now it's 20." | |
| The migrants, originally from Afghanistan, Sudan and Syria, could stay in Devon for up to six weeks. | |
| It is believed they will receive medical checks before they are reunited with family members or moved to other parts of the country. | |
| The exact location of the centre is not being released. A source told the BBC most of those expected in Devon were over 16 years old. | |
| The children were transported from Croydon, south London, where they were taken from the Jungle camp by a private security company. The Home Office said they were unaccompanied, vulnerable children. | The children were transported from Croydon, south London, where they were taken from the Jungle camp by a private security company. The Home Office said they were unaccompanied, vulnerable children. |
| 'Compassionate grounds' | |
| Conservative MP Geoffrey Cox said he hoped the community would "rally round" as up to 70 children are expected to be sent to the centre in total. | |
| Mr Cox, MP for Torridge and West Devon, said: "I hope that the community will feel that we need to rally round to assist these very vulnerable young people on compassionate grounds, if nothing else, because I firmly believe we need to do our part to assist what is a terrible situation that has been allowed to develop in Calais." | Mr Cox, MP for Torridge and West Devon, said: "I hope that the community will feel that we need to rally round to assist these very vulnerable young people on compassionate grounds, if nothing else, because I firmly believe we need to do our part to assist what is a terrible situation that has been allowed to develop in Calais." |
| Robin Julian, leader of the Devon UKIP Group and Devon County Councillor for Bideford South and Hartland, said: "I have been assured that should anybody have any criminality or found to have lied about their age they will be sent back. | |
| "It is good that we are doing our bit as long as it doesn't affect local people. We are so desperate here - we are a poor area. I have been led to believe that all monies are going to be funded by central government and I hope that is the case because we are really struggling." | "It is good that we are doing our bit as long as it doesn't affect local people. We are so desperate here - we are a poor area. I have been led to believe that all monies are going to be funded by central government and I hope that is the case because we are really struggling." |