Campaigners urge UK government to 'let the children come'

Juliette Stevenson addresses vigil

Actors Vanessa Redgrave, Juliet Stevenson and Ann Mitchell, joined faith leaders, politicians and around 200 campaigners at the Home Office this morning, to urge Home Secretary Amber Rudd to allow a group of lone refugee children at the 'Jungle' in Calais, to come to England. Organised by London Citizens, the event marked the first anniversary of the death of Ayan Kurdi, whose body was washed up on a Greek beach as his family fled Syria.

Hundreds of unaccompanied children, some as young as eight, are currently living in the makeshift camp. Nearly 400 of them are eligible for transfer to the UK - and have been for many months - but for some reason the paperwork has stalled. It has been reported that two of the children have died, several have gone missing, and doctors say many of the children are seriously traumatised. A letter to the Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, with the full list of the children eligible for transfer was handed in to the Home Office with a request that Ms Rudd take immediate action.

Salvation Army Major Paul Kingscott began with a quote from the Gospels in which Jesus said: "Let the children come." There were prayers and readings from Imam Safraz Jeraj from the South London Mosque and Rabbi Janet Darley. Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner said: "If you save a life - you save a world." She also sang a beautiful Jewish prayer (See ICN Facebook page)

Bishop Peter Hill, Bishop of Barking, said: "Having visited Calais only last week and met some of the refugee children living there in appalling conditions, I appeal to ministers to look into their hearts and take immediate action to bring these children to safety. It has been established that the UK has a legal obligation to these children, but more to the point, this country has a moral obligation. As we mark the first anniversary of the death of Ayan Kurdi, and remember all the other refugee children who have died trying to reach safety in the last year, I call on the government to take a small humanitarian step in rescuing the children of Calais."

Lord Dubs, the Labour peer and long- time refugee campaigner, who came to Britain as a child on Kindertransport programme to escape Nazi persecution, said: "I am deeply saddened that despite repeated calls from me and others the government still seems to be dragging its feet on the commitments it made when the amendment in my name was accepted. Now that the new government has had some weeks to settle in after the EU referendum vote there really is no excuse for any further delay. Theresa May and Amber Rudd should be taking immediate action."

Cllr Julian Bell, Labour leader of Ealing Borough Council, said: "With good will and cooperation between central and local government, and with the support of local communities, these children could be brought here within days."

Cllr Stephen Cowan, Labour Leader of Hammersmith Borough Council said: "I met some of the children when I visited the camp with other council leaders last month. I asked the interpreter for one nine-year old child why the child was shaking when it was such a baking hot day? He told me: "The boy has been driven mad with fear." The young child was reluctant to talk but slowly explained that his ambition is to have a "safe place to sleep at night" adding that the camp is "very bad for children." That situation simply cannot be allowed to continue. We have foster parents ready to help here in Hammersmith and Fulham and other councils like Ealing and Lambeth have stepped up too - but the government will not act to let the children reach safety. There is a moral imperative that we act. Taking action is not only the right thing to do, it is in the very best of British traditions."

In a moving speech, Juliet Stevens, said she had never seen children so terrified. "These children have despair in their eyes", she said."The government must honour its legal duty towards unaccompanied child refugees."

"In the last year the British people have shown that they want to welcome more refugees here. While our government has acted in some commendable ways - notably through its commitment to resettle 20,000 Syrians by 2020 - in other regards it has not shown the generosity to refugees it should. On this painful anniversary, when we remember a tiny Syrian boy lying drowned on a Turkish beach, a death which shook the world, it would be appropriate for the prime minister and home secretary to act to help stranded refugee children. We are only talking about fewer than 400 children. How can it be argued that Britain cannot cope in providing new homes for these children?"

Vanessa Redgrave echoed this appeal saying: " We've got to get to them out of there. We have a moral duty towards these children."

The final speaker was Fr Dominic Robinson SJ from Farm Street Church, who recently visited the Jungle. He said: "I met child number 50. He has a name." Fr Dominic concluded by inviting all present to exchange a sign of peace.

See ICN's Facebook page for more photos and films see: www.facebook.com/Independent-Catholic-News-ICN-195368037167900/