A small number of children and young people from the Calais camps have begun arriving in Staffordshire, days after the County Council pledged its support for the most vulnerable young people.
The County Council is signed up to the National Transfer Scheme and has been working closely with the regional migration team and other West Midlands Authorities on a daily basis to identify placements for children.
The first to arrive was a 17-year-old boy from Sudan who is believed to have been the victim of trafficking.
More children will arrive in the region on a weekly basis for the next 3 weeks, and will then go on to be looked after by local authorities like the County Council who have the capacity to take them.
This is in addition to the 84 unaccompanied asylum seeking children currently in the County Council’s care.
Leader of Staffordshire County Council Philip Atkins said:
Staffordshire has a proud history of helping those most in need and as well as accepting 50 Syrian refugees to the county this year and caring for 84 young asylum seekers in our care, we have extended our offer of help to the children arriving from the Calais camps.
While is right that we offer immediate support to these vulnerable young people, the closure of the so-called ‘Calais jungle’ will undoubtedly prompt more young people to try and make the journey to the UK and more needs to be done to discourage people from setting off on their perilous journey across the Mediterranean Sea to Calais in the first place.”
1 comment
Janet O'Malley
I am retired but would love to help refugees in Staffordshire. I have a car and time on my hands but not that mobile as I’ve dodgy knees. I could prepare food or give lifts if they need appointment visits. Is there a number I could phone or could you pass this on ?