Brexit deadline spells trouble for refugees

Charity fears children seeking reunion with families will be turned away from UK because of government neglect

Syrian refugee children look through a fence at a refugee camp in the Turkish border town AFP

Britain's immigration authorities could renege on a promise to reunite child refugees with their parents after Brexit, it has been reported.

Ministers are accused of making no provision to transfer unaccompanied minors from mainland Europe to be with their families once the UK is freed from European Union rules after December 31.

Children in refugee camps who fled the Taliban in Afghanistan or the fighting in Syria are struggling to enter Britain.

Unaccompanied minors in France were told by authorities that Britain’s Home Office had failed to come forward with promised assistance.

At the end of this month the deadline to enter Britain legally under the EU’s family reunification rules will expire.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson previously told parliament that he was “absolutely committed to ensuring that this country will continue to receive unaccompanied children”.

Children’s charities were also informed that the Home Office would help to reunite families if their case began before the Brexit transition period ended.

Sources told The Observer newspaper, however, that "no proper arrangements" were put in place for transfers under a special EU family reunification agreement.

“Unaccompanied child refugees in Europe have been left with nothing more than broken promises and fading hopes of reuniting with family in the UK,” said Beth Gardiner-Smith, of the charity Safe Passage International, which assists in getting children to their parents.

“It is devastating that children desperate to reunite with their family have been turned away because of government inaction and a failure in international co-operation.”

The charity said there were 16 unaccompanied children from Afghanistan who are seeking to join family in Britain but will be refused unless the situation changes.

French immigration officials are said to have told youths that they could no longer apply to be with their families in Britain.

The situation will mean that youths in refugee camps in Greece might have to undertake illegal immigration trips that could involve crossing the English Channel in small boats or travelling in lorries.

Safe Passage called on the Home Office to take swift action to help reunite the children with their parents in Britain.

A Home Office representative denied it had reneged on the promise and said: “We are committed to continuing to process all family reunion cases that entered the system before the end of the transition period.

"All EU member states can continue to make requests to the UK on the basis of family reunion and we will continue to assess and process these requests.”