Baroness Hussein-Ece: Brexit Government has turned its back on refugee children in Calais
2 min read
Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Hussein-Ece writes following her question in the House of Lords on: 'The number of lone children in Calais with family links in the United Kingdom who have been allowed into the United Kingdom in the past 12 months'.
Yesterday, I asked the Minister a specific question how many lone refugee children in the Calais camp, with family in the UK & legally entitled to come to the UK had arrived here. I was told a paltry 80. The Red Cross reported that it's taking the Home Office up to 11 months to process a single child to come to the UK, when it could take just a few weeks. They recommended officials should act on the ground in Calais to assist.
In less than a week the French authorities will start to demolish the camps in Calais, a process that must be completed by the end of the month. For the people that have made it their 'home', and I use that term in the loosest way possible, this means further upheaval and uncertainty.
The adults will be transferred to specific centres but what isn't yet clear is what will happen to the almost 1000 unaccompanied minors who are currently languishing in Calais.
Charities such as Citizens UK, Help Refugees and the British Red Cross have been working tirelessly to identify those children who have links to families in the UK, and therefore have a legal right to be brought here, and so far, have identified over 200. This clearly is a job for Government, but this Brexit government has abdicated responsibility and turned their back on these children.
Each one of the 80 unaccompanied children that has been brought to the UK has been part of Citizens UK's ‘Safe Passage’ project. The Home Office must send more people out there to quickly identify these unaccompanied refugee children before they disappear off our radar.
Amber Rudd herself has admitted that 300 would be a good number. To that I say it might be good for those children that are offered sanctuary but what about the others who are left behind? What will the UK do to protect them as winter comes in?
This Government has dragged its heels on implementing the Dubs amendment that both the House of Lords and Commons passed in May this year. This is not only an insult to the will and authority of Parliament but also to the British public and our shared humanity.
The Baroness Hussein-Ece OBE is a Liberal Democrat peer
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