The relocation of unaccompanied children from Europe during the current crisis is, of course, a pressing concern for the Government. Immediately after the Immigration Bill gained Royal Assent, we began to act to carry out the Lord Dubs amendment. The Government has been working actively to transfer children who meet the criteria of the Immigration Act, and I am very glad to say that some have already arrived safely in the UK and started new lives.
We must protect innocent children, and the Government’s refugee policy is focused on doing precisely that. In the year ending June 2016, 49% of individuals resettled under the Syrian Vulnerable Person’s Resettlement Scheme were below age 18. The Home Office has also announced a new scheme, collaborating with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, to resettle vulnerable children from the Middle East and North Africa.
The Government continues to cooperate with authorities across Europe to streamline family reunification processes or create new processes for unaccompanied children. Towards this end, UK officials have been seconded to Greece and Italy, and another will be sent to the French Interior Ministry. The Government established a team in the Home Office Dublin Unit dedicated to family reunion cases for unaccompanied children. This team processes reunion cases very effectively, and over 120 children have been accepted for transfer this year from Europe.
The situation in Calais is an important part of the larger immigration picture. Protecting these children and managing asylum claims in Calais remains primarily the concern of the French authorities. France Terre D’Asile, a French non-government organisation, is working to find isolated children with ties to the UK. Both our Government and the French Government believe it is safest for unaccompanied children in need of protection in Calais to claim asylum in France. The UK closely considers all requests to undertake a request for asylum in France when lodged by a minor who has close family connections in the UK. Both British and French Governments ensure that such cases receive priority and close attention.
The UK and French authorities continue to work together to improve the Dublin process. Since the start of 2016, 70 of the 120 children approved for transfer from Europe were from France. I hope that this cooperation will continue its success.