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| Downing Street in war of words with French President over demand UK take responsibility for child refugees | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Downing Street is locked in a war of words with François Hollande after the French President demanded the UK “accept its responsibility” to take in stranded young migrants. | |
| Theresa May’s official spokesman said he did not accept the suggestion that Britain was not doing enough, following Mr Hollande’s comments. | Theresa May’s official spokesman said he did not accept the suggestion that Britain was not doing enough, following Mr Hollande’s comments. |
| French authorities cleared the Calais Jungle camp after it was filled with thousands of migrants hoping to reach Britain, but the fate of unaccompanied and vulnerable minors has been a cause of dispute between the two governments. | |
| Ms May’s spokesman said: “We have done a huge amount of work in accepting asylum seekers and vulnerable children from France and that work continues, as it does in Europe and other parts of the world. | Ms May’s spokesman said: “We have done a huge amount of work in accepting asylum seekers and vulnerable children from France and that work continues, as it does in Europe and other parts of the world. |
| “In the past year alone we’ve taken 8,000 children. So I don’t accept the suggestion we are not doing enough work.” | “In the past year alone we’ve taken 8,000 children. So I don’t accept the suggestion we are not doing enough work.” |
| However, limits applied to the Dubs amendment scheme – under which the UK accepted unaccompanied minors from Calais – have sparked criticism from MPs and led to anger in France. | |
| Speaking to a conference on children caught in conflict, Mr Hollande said: “France is playing its part in the European effort. We expect that our partners do the same, particularly when we are talking about minors on their own. | Speaking to a conference on children caught in conflict, Mr Hollande said: “France is playing its part in the European effort. We expect that our partners do the same, particularly when we are talking about minors on their own. |
| “I call on the United Kingdom to accept its responsibility for adolescents in France at the moment who have family on the other side of the Channel.” | “I call on the United Kingdom to accept its responsibility for adolescents in France at the moment who have family on the other side of the Channel.” |
| The Home Office unexpectedly announced the Dubs scheme would end after 350 children were offered sanctuary in the UK – far lower than the 3,000 originally promised. | The Home Office unexpectedly announced the Dubs scheme would end after 350 children were offered sanctuary in the UK – far lower than the 3,000 originally promised. |
| The spat comes as Ms May prepared to meet French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron, one of the front-runners to succeed Mr Hollande. |