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| UK to take hundreds more children from Calais, home secretary says | UK to take hundreds more children from Calais, home secretary says |
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| Hundreds more refugee children are to be brought from Calais to Britain in the next three weeks but one in four local authorities in England, including Theresa May’s own council, say they cannot take responsibility for them. | Hundreds more refugee children are to be brought from Calais to Britain in the next three weeks but one in four local authorities in England, including Theresa May’s own council, say they cannot take responsibility for them. |
| As the French clearance operation got under way at the Calais refugee camp, the home secretary told MPs that 800 children claiming family links with Britain have been interviewed by Home Office officials in the camp in the past week. | As the French clearance operation got under way at the Calais refugee camp, the home secretary told MPs that 800 children claiming family links with Britain have been interviewed by Home Office officials in the camp in the past week. |
| Amber Rudd said that almost 200 children have been brought to Britain in recent days, including 60 girls under the Dubs amendment, which is designed to protect vulnerable child refugees across Europe. But 38 councils out of 156 in England have so far refused to take part in resettling those who have arrived. | Amber Rudd said that almost 200 children have been brought to Britain in recent days, including 60 girls under the Dubs amendment, which is designed to protect vulnerable child refugees across Europe. But 38 councils out of 156 in England have so far refused to take part in resettling those who have arrived. |
| A total of 1,918 Calais camp residents, including 300 children, packed their bags and passed through the official registration centre on Monday, the French interior ministry said. A fleet of 46 buses started to take them to regions all over France, except Paris and Corsica, leaving an estimated 8,000 remaining in the camp waiting to be processed. | A total of 1,918 Calais camp residents, including 300 children, packed their bags and passed through the official registration centre on Monday, the French interior ministry said. A fleet of 46 buses started to take them to regions all over France, except Paris and Corsica, leaving an estimated 8,000 remaining in the camp waiting to be processed. |
| Rudd told the Commons that Britain will not accept applications from anybody who has arrived in the Calais camp after today and that those to be brought to Britain will go through proper age assessment and security checks before they come. | Rudd told the Commons that Britain will not accept applications from anybody who has arrived in the Calais camp after today and that those to be brought to Britain will go through proper age assessment and security checks before they come. |
| “We will only consider those present in the camps before the start of clearances [of the camp],” the home secretary added. “We will continue to do this quickly, but it is essential that we carry out the proper safeguarding, age assessment and security checks, working closely with local authorities and social workers here in the UK, to ensure that the children are eligible, and that it is in their best interests to come.” | “We will only consider those present in the camps before the start of clearances [of the camp],” the home secretary added. “We will continue to do this quickly, but it is essential that we carry out the proper safeguarding, age assessment and security checks, working closely with local authorities and social workers here in the UK, to ensure that the children are eligible, and that it is in their best interests to come.” |
| Many of those queuing to leave the camp were Sudanese and Eritrean in a largely orderly operation. As officers opened the gates, people were guided into four queues – adult, family, child and vulnerable or disabled – and given a coloured wristband. Among them, Mohamed, 23, from Eritrea, said he was happy to leave, adding: “The camp is dirty and dangerous.” He had been there for three months, he told the Guardian, and had tried to get asylum in France before. | Many of those queuing to leave the camp were Sudanese and Eritrean in a largely orderly operation. As officers opened the gates, people were guided into four queues – adult, family, child and vulnerable or disabled – and given a coloured wristband. Among them, Mohamed, 23, from Eritrea, said he was happy to leave, adding: “The camp is dirty and dangerous.” He had been there for three months, he told the Guardian, and had tried to get asylum in France before. |
| “My fingerprints were taken in Italy and wherever you go in Europe after that they say you have to go back to Italy under the Dublin regulation. Now they say for the first time the fingerprints don’t matter and we can start applying for asylum again. I am happy.” | “My fingerprints were taken in Italy and wherever you go in Europe after that they say you have to go back to Italy under the Dublin regulation. Now they say for the first time the fingerprints don’t matter and we can start applying for asylum again. I am happy.” |
| Unaccompanied minors are believed to be the only group staying in Calais, including 49 lone children under the age of 13. They will be taken to containers within a secure area of the camp previously used to house adults. But conflicting advice over where children should go was “extremely distressing and confusing” to those who were struggling to understand where they should go and how they were supposed to get there, according to the charity Help Refugees. | Unaccompanied minors are believed to be the only group staying in Calais, including 49 lone children under the age of 13. They will be taken to containers within a secure area of the camp previously used to house adults. But conflicting advice over where children should go was “extremely distressing and confusing” to those who were struggling to understand where they should go and how they were supposed to get there, according to the charity Help Refugees. |
| “Up to a thousand children are expected to be housed in the shipping containers and at present it appears there is nothing in the way of youth workers to be responsible for, and help calm, these young people and children,” Help Refugees said. | “Up to a thousand children are expected to be housed in the shipping containers and at present it appears there is nothing in the way of youth workers to be responsible for, and help calm, these young people and children,” Help Refugees said. |
| However, the Home Office said it had temporarily suspended the transfer of children from Calais to the UK on Monday at the request of the French authorities as they started preparations to clear the camp. | However, the Home Office said it had temporarily suspended the transfer of children from Calais to the UK on Monday at the request of the French authorities as they started preparations to clear the camp. |
| Britain is to spend £36m to help the French authorities ensure that the closure of the Calais camp – which has been a focus of charitable and humanitarian efforts – is “full and lasting” and that it does not simply reappear in a few months time. This money includes £14m on security at the port. | Britain is to spend £36m to help the French authorities ensure that the closure of the Calais camp – which has been a focus of charitable and humanitarian efforts – is “full and lasting” and that it does not simply reappear in a few months time. This money includes £14m on security at the port. |
| By nightfall on Monday, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said 1,918 people had been processed and sent to 80 centres around France. Another 400 unaccompanied minors were being housed in heated shelters at the camp. | |
| The operation, expected to last a week, would continue as long as necessary, Cazeneuve said. “This is an operation we want to be peaceful and under control. So far it is,” he said. | |
| Rudd appealed to local authorities to come forward and volunteer to take more children under the Dubs amendment, saying there were not yet enough places. One of the councils that has refused to take any lone children from Calais is Windsor and Maidenhead council, which covers Theresa May’s constituency. “The Royal Borough is currently taking in four children under the Syrian resettlement programme and has committed to house another eight Syrian refugee families. We are not able to take further people at this point,” said a spokesperson. | Rudd appealed to local authorities to come forward and volunteer to take more children under the Dubs amendment, saying there were not yet enough places. One of the councils that has refused to take any lone children from Calais is Windsor and Maidenhead council, which covers Theresa May’s constituency. “The Royal Borough is currently taking in four children under the Syrian resettlement programme and has committed to house another eight Syrian refugee families. We are not able to take further people at this point,” said a spokesperson. |
| According to the magazine Children and Young People Now, three of the nine regional local authority areas have not signed up to the national transfer scheme under which the Dubs amendment children will be housed in Britain. The Home Office has refused to reveal which regions have not signed up but Leicestershire county council became the latest to refuse to take part. | According to the magazine Children and Young People Now, three of the nine regional local authority areas have not signed up to the national transfer scheme under which the Dubs amendment children will be housed in Britain. The Home Office has refused to reveal which regions have not signed up but Leicestershire county council became the latest to refuse to take part. |
| The last minute nature of the Home Office’s response, coming as the camp was in the process of being cleared by the French authorities, was underlined by the disclosure by the Local Government Association that the home secretary and the children’s minister only wrote to council leaders on 14 October asking them if they were willing to accept the Dubs children on a voluntary basis. | The last minute nature of the Home Office’s response, coming as the camp was in the process of being cleared by the French authorities, was underlined by the disclosure by the Local Government Association that the home secretary and the children’s minister only wrote to council leaders on 14 October asking them if they were willing to accept the Dubs children on a voluntary basis. |
| Citizens UK spokesman George Gabriel said the suspension of further transfers to Britain was disappointing: “We hope that the progress made in the last week will resume tomorrow. The Home Office must not allow vulnerable children to fall back into the hands of people smugglers because of avoidable delays.” | Citizens UK spokesman George Gabriel said the suspension of further transfers to Britain was disappointing: “We hope that the progress made in the last week will resume tomorrow. The Home Office must not allow vulnerable children to fall back into the hands of people smugglers because of avoidable delays.” |
| In the Commons the shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott, accused the home secretary of treating the Calais refugees as pawns and hiding behind the French authorities for her failure to identify those eligible to come to Britain far sooner. She said the demolition of the camp should have been postponed until the position of the child refugees had been properly safeguarded. | In the Commons the shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott, accused the home secretary of treating the Calais refugees as pawns and hiding behind the French authorities for her failure to identify those eligible to come to Britain far sooner. She said the demolition of the camp should have been postponed until the position of the child refugees had been properly safeguarded. |
| Yusef, 35, a pharmacist from Sudan who spent three months living rough in Calais, and said that he hoped to claim asylum in France, said he had no idea where he would end up: “I will close my eyes and put my finger on the map.” | Yusef, 35, a pharmacist from Sudan who spent three months living rough in Calais, and said that he hoped to claim asylum in France, said he had no idea where he would end up: “I will close my eyes and put my finger on the map.” |
| But he was optimistic. “I want to integrate to start a new life, contribute. I trust France to keep me safe.” Once he had hopes of making it to the UK. “But that dream died here,” he said. “That bridge is closed.” | But he was optimistic. “I want to integrate to start a new life, contribute. I trust France to keep me safe.” Once he had hopes of making it to the UK. “But that dream died here,” he said. “That bridge is closed.” |