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| Calais: France says Britain must take in more than 1,000 refugee children | |
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| French officials have demanded that Britain give homes to more than 1,000 refugee children who remain in shipping containers on the site of the now-cleared Calais camp, amid renewed tense diplomatic wrangling over the fate of the unaccompanied minors. | French officials have demanded that Britain give homes to more than 1,000 refugee children who remain in shipping containers on the site of the now-cleared Calais camp, amid renewed tense diplomatic wrangling over the fate of the unaccompanied minors. |
| As bulldozers began destroying the remains of the camp, there was concern about the future of nearly 1,500 children given short-term accommodation in a fenced-off section of the camp. Both the president of the regional council and the head of France’s official refugee agency, Ofpra, said on Friday night that Britain should accept all of them. | As bulldozers began destroying the remains of the camp, there was concern about the future of nearly 1,500 children given short-term accommodation in a fenced-off section of the camp. Both the president of the regional council and the head of France’s official refugee agency, Ofpra, said on Friday night that Britain should accept all of them. |
| Xavier Bertrand, president of the Hauts-de-France regional council, pointed out that only 300 minors had been taken to the UK, and added: “We now need the British government to implement and accelerate the juvenile transfer process to the UK ... It is a question of humanity and dignity.” | Xavier Bertrand, president of the Hauts-de-France regional council, pointed out that only 300 minors had been taken to the UK, and added: “We now need the British government to implement and accelerate the juvenile transfer process to the UK ... It is a question of humanity and dignity.” |
| The head of Ofpra, Pascal Brice, said that since France had given homes to around 4,400 adults, it was only fair that Britain took its share. “We’ve done Britain’s work in tending to the adults,” he told Reuters. “The least they can do is take care of the isolated minors who are now at the CAP [temporary lodgings] and who have an interest in going to Britain.” | The head of Ofpra, Pascal Brice, said that since France had given homes to around 4,400 adults, it was only fair that Britain took its share. “We’ve done Britain’s work in tending to the adults,” he told Reuters. “The least they can do is take care of the isolated minors who are now at the CAP [temporary lodgings] and who have an interest in going to Britain.” |
| The renewed pressure on the UK to take more Calais refugees came 24 hours after the French interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, told his British counterpart, Amber Rudd, that Britain should “quickly execute its responsibilities to take in these minors, who hope to come to the United Kingdom. This is the best way to give them the protection they are due.” The Home Office has said it expects to give sanctuary to a few hundred more children once their asylum claims have been investigated, but will not make any firm commitments on numbers until the cases have been processed. | The renewed pressure on the UK to take more Calais refugees came 24 hours after the French interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, told his British counterpart, Amber Rudd, that Britain should “quickly execute its responsibilities to take in these minors, who hope to come to the United Kingdom. This is the best way to give them the protection they are due.” The Home Office has said it expects to give sanctuary to a few hundred more children once their asylum claims have been investigated, but will not make any firm commitments on numbers until the cases have been processed. |
| With the final clearance of the Calais camp complete, one refugee charity in Paris reported a sharp rise in the number of asylum seekers sleeping rough, indicating that at least some of the refugee population may simply have been shifted elsewhere. | With the final clearance of the Calais camp complete, one refugee charity in Paris reported a sharp rise in the number of asylum seekers sleeping rough, indicating that at least some of the refugee population may simply have been shifted elsewhere. |
| Earlier, French authorities bowed to international pressure over the treatment of more than 100 child refugees left stranded without any shelter in the dismantled Calais camp, agreeing to lay on buses for those still in the area and transfer them to reception centres around the country. | Earlier, French authorities bowed to international pressure over the treatment of more than 100 child refugees left stranded without any shelter in the dismantled Calais camp, agreeing to lay on buses for those still in the area and transfer them to reception centres around the country. |
| As groups of minors faced the threat of a third night sleeping rough in the largely destroyed camp, French officials arrived with three coaches on the same street in which the press and teenagers were kettled on Thursday. | As groups of minors faced the threat of a third night sleeping rough in the largely destroyed camp, French officials arrived with three coaches on the same street in which the press and teenagers were kettled on Thursday. |
| Shas Sheehan, the Liberal Democrat peer who has been campaigning for the rights of teenagers at the camp for more than a year, hailed the development as “fantastic news”. Concerns remained, however, after the police refused to let any independent observer past a police line to confirm that none of the teenagers were being taken to a detention centre. | Shas Sheehan, the Liberal Democrat peer who has been campaigning for the rights of teenagers at the camp for more than a year, hailed the development as “fantastic news”. Concerns remained, however, after the police refused to let any independent observer past a police line to confirm that none of the teenagers were being taken to a detention centre. |
| The children, aged between 11 and 18, and up to 30 adult migrants filed through the police line silently to take their places on the bus. | The children, aged between 11 and 18, and up to 30 adult migrants filed through the police line silently to take their places on the bus. |
| Lady Sheehan, who had written to the home secretary on Friday morning calling on her to reach an urgent resolution with the French, appealed to the sous-préfet of the Pas-de-Calais, who stood on the police line. He refused to let her in to observe the group’s removal. | Lady Sheehan, who had written to the home secretary on Friday morning calling on her to reach an urgent resolution with the French, appealed to the sous-préfet of the Pas-de-Calais, who stood on the police line. He refused to let her in to observe the group’s removal. |
| “He told me they are under French protection now and they will protect their human rights,” she said. She added that there were fears some migrants could be “taken to a detention centre and deported”. | “He told me they are under French protection now and they will protect their human rights,” she said. She added that there were fears some migrants could be “taken to a detention centre and deported”. |
| “We cannot be sure about any of their assurances. We have to judge by the evidence we have seen and what we have seen is shambolic,” Sheehan said. | “We cannot be sure about any of their assurances. We have to judge by the evidence we have seen and what we have seen is shambolic,” Sheehan said. |
| But there remain concerns that there are still refugee children as young as 12 stranded in the ruins of the camp in Calais, after it emerged that some who were due to come to England in the last couple of days never made it on to the buses organised by the Home Office to bring them to the UK. The Red Cross has warned that some of these children are in danger of disappearing before they can be brought to safety. | But there remain concerns that there are still refugee children as young as 12 stranded in the ruins of the camp in Calais, after it emerged that some who were due to come to England in the last couple of days never made it on to the buses organised by the Home Office to bring them to the UK. The Red Cross has warned that some of these children are in danger of disappearing before they can be brought to safety. |
| The children had been interviewed, registered and approved to travel to the UK under the terms of the Dubs amendment legislation. Alex Fraser, director of refugee support at the British Red Cross, said: “Many of the children who remain in Calais have a legal right to come to the UK, but there is now a real risk some will disappear, when they should have been brought to safety. The UK government should be urging the French government in the strongest terms to ensure that no child is left without shelter.” | The children had been interviewed, registered and approved to travel to the UK under the terms of the Dubs amendment legislation. Alex Fraser, director of refugee support at the British Red Cross, said: “Many of the children who remain in Calais have a legal right to come to the UK, but there is now a real risk some will disappear, when they should have been brought to safety. The UK government should be urging the French government in the strongest terms to ensure that no child is left without shelter.” |
| Lawyers representing some of the children who are eligible to travel to the UK have expressed concern about their inability to contact children currently in the camp area and have warned that a few of these children have either left the remains of the camp to try their luck elsewhere in France or have been dispersed by the French authorities even though their names are on a list to come to England. | Lawyers representing some of the children who are eligible to travel to the UK have expressed concern about their inability to contact children currently in the camp area and have warned that a few of these children have either left the remains of the camp to try their luck elsewhere in France or have been dispersed by the French authorities even though their names are on a list to come to England. |
| The Refugee Youth Service said as many as 15 minors were refusing to get into the buses on Friday because they did not know where the buses were going. | The Refugee Youth Service said as many as 15 minors were refusing to get into the buses on Friday because they did not know where the buses were going. |
| Michael McHugh, a volunteer, raised the issue of what the authorities were going to do with refugees who would inevitably show up in the coming days, weeks and months. “Everyone likes a nice narrative, a beginning and a middle and an end, but this story is not over.” | Michael McHugh, a volunteer, raised the issue of what the authorities were going to do with refugees who would inevitably show up in the coming days, weeks and months. “Everyone likes a nice narrative, a beginning and a middle and an end, but this story is not over.” |
| The charity said an Eritrean brother and sister of 15 and 16 had arrived on Thursday night and were separated because there was room for the girl in a female-only secure camp, but not for the boy. | The charity said an Eritrean brother and sister of 15 and 16 had arrived on Thursday night and were separated because there was room for the girl in a female-only secure camp, but not for the boy. |
| “I had to walk this girl up this morning, holding her hand, to the bus. She was terrified. It was the only way to reunite them,” said Dannie Fisher of the RYS. | “I had to walk this girl up this morning, holding her hand, to the bus. She was terrified. It was the only way to reunite them,” said Dannie Fisher of the RYS. |
| McHugh added: “This is far from over. There are still 1,500 children in the container camp, some of them really terrified. | McHugh added: “This is far from over. There are still 1,500 children in the container camp, some of them really terrified. |
| “There are some children who saw what was going on and were so scared they went to Paris, where presumably they will be sleeping rough. Everything about this operation has put children in danger.” | “There are some children who saw what was going on and were so scared they went to Paris, where presumably they will be sleeping rough. Everything about this operation has put children in danger.” |