Jude Law and others push for 'Jungle' children to be protected

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Jude Law and others push for 'Jungle' children to be protected



LONDON: -- Some of the biggest names in British film and television have made a desperate plea for the safety of unaccompanied migrant children.

Jude Law and other big names travelled to the so-called Jungle camp in northern France, days before at least half of it is due to be demolished.

While there, he read out an open letter to British Prime Minister David Cameron, calling for those children with families in the UK to be allowed to stay with them while their asylum applications are heard.

‘Who knows what’s going to happen to them?’

He urged the French authorities to protect the remaining children.

“It is a community that they built and it offers a minor thread to the children who are here unaccompanied. Without those who knows what’s going to happen to them,” Law said.

Over 100,000 people have signed the letter, including prominent actors such as Idris Elba, Helena Bonham Carter and Benedict Cumberbatch.

At least 1,000 people evicted

The Calais authorities say the demolition will affect around 1,000 people. Aid agencies, such as Help Refugees, estimate the figure will be 3,455, including 445 children, three quarters of whom are unaccompanied.

The camp’s population is estimated to be between 4,000 and 6,000. Its inhabitants mainly hail from the Middle East and Africa. They are reluctant to be relocated elsewhere in France when the demolition takes place as they believe the Calais site offers their best hope of reaching the UK — just under 34 km away through the Channel Tunnel.

Push to seek asylum

French authorities say the whole of the ‘Jungle’ is forecast to be cleared. They are hoping migrants will agree to be bussed to reception centres in other parts of France. Once there, they will be expected to seek asylum or, in some cases, be deported.

Others will be housed in containers converted into living spaces with heating and sanitation. However, fingerprint technology is used to access the housing and some are reluctant to have their details digitally recorded.

Doctors of the World and seven other NGOs wrote to the French Interior Ministry on Thursday (February 18) to argue that the alternative accommodation proposed by the authorities was “very far from answering the problems” of the migrants. They suggested many would flee along France’s northern coast and set up new shantytowns.

Tuesday evening deadline

For the moment, those living in the southern half of the ‘Jungle’ have until 8 pm local time on Tuesday (February 23) to leave voluntarily. Those remaining the following morning will be forcibly evicted.

Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve says the settlement will be evacuated “progressively.”

The eviction order cites a number of problems created by the camp’s presence. These include: migrants trying to slow traffic in order to jump aboard lorries and other HGVs bound for Britain; building tensions with far-right-wing activists; and a lack of hygiene and human dignity.

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-02-23

[NongKhaiKid]

They're reluctant to be relocated elsewhere in France as Calais offers the best chance of getting to UK.

They are in France illegally and trying to enter Britain illegally so why should their reluctance come into it ?

[Scott]

The protection of underage, unaccompanied children should be of the highest priority. They should be either sent to their family members in the UK, or returned to their family in their home country. If they are to be screened, then they should be given priority screening. Unaccompanied children do not belong in these migrant camps.

[steve187]

how did the children become unaccompanied, were they abandoned by parents, if so they should be taken into care, and dealt with in the normal way, by the local authorities, either returned to family members living legally in a country , or adopted out to willing families.

as already posted the people in the camp are in Calais inlegally, they should be dealt with at the first port of landing in a safe country.

no pulling on heart strings, yes it is a shame but they were put in this situation by their parents, no one else.

The UK if full, let the do gooders adopt the children, if they are that concerned, why is it movie/tv stars poke their noses into others business, just get on with the acting.

[wabothai]

Save the children and get rid of the cockroaches. Enough material available to substantiate my stance.

[Scott]

Children end up unaccompanied for a variety of reasons.

--In some cases, the parents or parent they were with have died, drowned, or have been killed.

--In some cases, the child has been separated from the family because of fighting in the home country and ended up in a refugee camp.

--In some cases, the child has been sent with neighbors, friends, or distant family members.

--In some cases, the children are being trafficked.

I worked with unaccompanied minor children and I never came across of a case in which a child ended up unaccompanied because they wanted to be separated from their family. Regardless of your politics, these children are vulnerable and in need of protection.

Screening UMC is difficult because they may not be able to articulate their claim to refugee status, so it takes some time and work to get to the bottom of the situation. In the past, every effort was made to reunite them with their family, even if it meant repatriating them. If it is clear that they are a from a family with a genuine claim to refugee status, then the child is resettled.

In some situations, if they are not a genuine refugee, but can't be returned, they are resettled with relatives or put in a care facility.

And yes, for unaccompanied minor children there are bleeding heart liberals that will put their money where their mouth is and take them in. I've even seem some very hard-core conservatives that have taken them.

[Scott]

On further issue that comes up with unaccompanied children is that of 'anchor children'. These are children that are sent on with others and once resettled the family is then allowed to join them. Most countries have some safeguards in place to prevent this causing an exodus of children.

[Celer et Audax]

How exactly did theses unaccompanied vulnerable children mange to travel all the way through a number of "safe" countries to arrive at Calais

Just a thought

[Scott]

If they were properly screened then the answers to those and many other questions would be known.

Children on their own are usually not eligible for any kind of benefits and they aren't eligible to work.

These are part of the reasons that they are a high risk category. Also, the longer they are left in the camps without services or education, the greater the chances that they go feral and end up in gangs and illegal activities.

[Pdaz]

If he's so worried why doesn't he adopt them ? Another tw@t of a celebrity trying to ease their conscience.. They are all illegal immigrants, bulldoze the camp and deport them all. It should have been shut for hygiene and public health concerns years ago.. Only tolerated cos the tesidents are non-white and Govt afraid of being called racists or sued over human rights bullsheeet..

[Scott]

Once they have been screened and put in the appropriate juvenile legal system, they may well be up for adoption. Once that is done, then you can put some pressure of Jude to adopt them. Until then, they are not up for adoption.

[NickJ]

Well if people who get paid to pretend to be other people for a living think its important then it must be.......Im sure Jude is making room for them in his neighborhood as we read this.

[Ulic]

Protected from what. They choose to stay there. They do have options. Housing,

asylum in France. Lots of options. The world is full of choices.

All these children arrived in the "jungle" with adults. The same adults use the children

as pawns in the asylum game, getting preferential treatment. All the migrants no

what to say to media for maximum effect. Make no mistake they are not refugees

fleeing danger passing through safe country after safe country. They are migrants

migrating to the country they want to go to.

Edited February 23, 2016 by Ulic