This week marks three months since the UK government passed a landmark ruling to provide sanctuary to unaccompanied, vulnerable child refugees. Guardian journalist Amelia Gentleman interviewed children in the Calais refugee camp, and highlighted the UK government’s failure to act on its word.
Gentleman spoke to several children, aged nine to 12, all of whom arrived in Europe before 20 March (a criterion set out in the legislation to prevent more children from being sent away by their parents alone), all potentially eligible to be helped to safety in the UK under the Dubs amendment – a commitment to relocate a number of lone child migrants to the UK “as soon as possible”.
Although no figure was specified, charities hoped that the UK would begin to accommodate large numbers of the estimated 88,000 unaccompanied child refugees in Europe. However, by the start of this week fewer than 20 had arrived under the scheme. Lord Dubs has condemned the “shocking” lack of urgency in the government’s response that was forcing very young children to continue living in “intolerable conditions”.
Did you read the Guardian’s report? We want to know what you think about it. If you have experience working with child refugees, we’d also like to hear from you.
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