As a charity supporting unaccompanied refugee children on the Greek islands, we are devastated by reports of death and injury in a fire at Moria camp on Lesbos and echo calls from Médecins Sans Frontières that children must be urgently evacuated from the islands (Report, 1 October).
The children we support have family in the UK and the right to family reunion under EU law. They should be safe with their loved ones, not stuck in overcrowded camps in intolerable conditions, waiting for months, even years, to be transferred to safety. But at a time when safe, legal routes are needed more than ever, a no-deal Brexit could block the route to family reunion for these children.
The UK must not abandon unaccompanied children in Europe. We urge the government to commit that, no matter the outcome of Brexit, children will be urgently evacuated from these camps and safely reunited with their families.
Beth Gardiner-Smith
CEO, Safe Passage
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