Migrant Children's Project Newsletter
October 2016
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To help us improve our guidance and resources in 2016, please take two minutes to complete our short survey here. Children transferred from Calais under the Dubs amendment Following the announcement from the French interior minister that the "Jungle" refugee camp in Calais was to be closed, the UK began the transfer of unaccompanied minors registered as living in the camp. Those with family members continued to be brought to the UK under the Dublin III transfer provisions, and following public pressure, under the Dubs amendment. As of the end of October, 274 children had been brought from France to the UK. Children are currently housed in temporary accommodation until they can be reunited with family members, or transferred to a receiving local authority under the national transfer scheme. As the camp clearance started, fears were raised that not all children had been moved to safety, and UNICEF UK and France released an urgent statement calling for the immediate protection of the remaining children. New fact sheet on services for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children The MCP has produced a new fact sheet for those working with unaccompanied children arriving in the UK. This brief fact-sheet sets out some of the issues to consider, as well as an explanation of the 'Dubs' amendment and 'Dublin' transfers. It is available here.
School census data The school census was held on 6 October, and schools was asked to fill in data on children's nationality for the first time. SchoolsABC organised a boycott of this information sharing. However, it was subsequently reported that schools were then able to ascribe a nationality to children based on guesswork, and that the information collected by schools had been accessed by the Home Office for the purpose of immigration enforcement. A debate on the statutory instrument that empowers the Government to collect this data is due in the House of Lords on Monday 31st October.
National transfer scheme
It was also reported this month that a number of local authorities had not signed up for the national transfer scheme. This is a voluntary system of relocating unaccompanied asylum seeking children from the local authority with responsibility for them to a different area, based on what percentage of the total child population are unaccompanied asylum seeking children. The transfers are organised by the Home Office. However, following an FOI request, is is apparent that 38 local authorities have not signed up to receive children under the scheme.
If you have queries about these or other issues, please contact our advice line on 0207 636 8505 or email mcp@coramclc.org.uk. Our upcoming training courses Our courses can now be booked online - just visit our Eventbrite page!
The rights and entitlements of young refugees and migrants Coram Campus, London, £65 + VAT Wednesday, 16 November 2016, 10am - 4:30pm Wednesday, 15 February 2017, 10am - 4:30pm Working with undocumented young people Coram Campus, London, FREE Friday, 4 November 2016, 9am - 1:30pm Friday, 9 December 2016, 9am - 1:30pm Tuesday, 17 January 2017, 9am - 1:30pm The registration of children as British citizens
Coram Campus, London, FREE Thursday, 10 November 2016, 4:00pm - 6:30pm For more information and to book, please see our eventbrite page. To commission in-house training for your organisation, please see our website.
New reports and guidance
No Safe Refuge: experiences of LGBT asylum seekers in detention
UKGLIG & Stonewall, October 2016
Campaign: Stop the press revealing identities of Calais children
ECPAT, October 2016
Day 46: is there life beyond the Safe House for survivors of Modern Slavery?
Human Trafficking Foundation, 10 October 2016
GRETA report concerning the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings by the United Kingdom, second evaluation round
GRETA, 7 October 2016
Latest news Migrant deaths in the Mediterranean reach new high
Financial Times, 28 October 2016
Calais jungle closed: hundreds of children remain unaccounted for despite official closure
The Independent, 27 October 2016
Calais: refugee children sleeping rough after camp demolition
The Guardian, 27 October 2016
First Calais 'jungle' children with no UK links arrive in the UK
Sky News, 24 October 2016
Farce of child migrant family checks: Home Office under fire for allowing youths into UK without being sure they have a home to go to
The Telegraph, 20 October 2016
How do you verify the age of child asylum seekers?
BBC, 19 October 2016
Dentists condemn calls for child migrants' teeth to be tested
BBC, 19 October 2016
Home Office rules out 'unethical' dental checks for Calais refugees
The Guardian, 19 October 2016
Why are 10 000 migrant children missing in Europe?
BBC, 12 October 2016
Migrant Children, Alone and Desperate in Calais Look to Britain With Hope
New York Times, 12 October 2016
Refugee Children in Greece face protest on first day of school
BBC, 10 October 2016
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