Britain Ready To Accept Child Refugees From Calais Jungle
MEP: The Great Britain has pledged to accept hundreds of child refugees from a border refugee camp on the French side of the English Channel, the U.K. government said Monday.
Amber Rudd said after a two-hour meeting on Monday with her French counterpart, Bernard Cazeneuve, that the official effort would prioritise safeguarding children aged under 12 – while after her announcement Labour MPs pressed her to clarify how many of the 1,000 unaccompanied children in Calais the UK would take.
Rudd told lawmakers in the House of Commons that the government would act with urgency to take in migrant children who have relatives in Britain.
Greg Swift, a spokesman for British Prime Minister Theresa May, says Britain and France were working together “to identify children who are vulnerable that we can help and we can bring into this country.”
French authorities announced their intent to dismantle the remaining part of the Calais “jungle” camp last month.
“I emphasised to Monsieur Cazeneuve that we should transfer as many minors as possible from the camp eligible under the Dublin regulation before clearance commences, with the remainder coming over within the next few days of operation,” Rudd told the Commons.
“I also outlined my views that those children eligible under the Dubs amendment to the Immigration Act 2016, must be looked after in safe facilities where their best interests are properly considered.” Rudd added that Britain was prepared to help fund the accommodation.
