*/
The Bar Human Rights Committee (BHRC) has called on the government to lift the arbitrary cut-off date for applications from unaccompanied children to come to the UK and increase the number of children it will accept.
The BHRC also called for authorities to implement proper procedures for evaluating child refugee applications, including providing access to legal advice and written reasoning for refusals.
The demands came in a critical report documenting the demolition of the Calais ‘Jungle’ camp last October and subsequent failures by French and UK authorities to protect and process the estimated 1,000 unaccompanied minors living in the camp.
The report, Breakdown: the dismantling of theCalais ‘Jungle’ and of the promises to its unaccompanied children, concluded that the authorities failed to take effective steps to safeguard the welfare and safety of unaccompanied children, leaving many at risk.
Children, it said, were subjected to a chaotic and unlawful age verification and registration process, based in some cases on physical appearance alone, and given inadequate information about the process for admitting unaccompanied children into the UK under the Dubs Amendment
BHRC Chair, Kirsty Brimelow QC, said: ‘The unaccompanied children of Calais have faced horror, both in their home countries and in France, in “the Jungle” camp. Nearly a year later, the horror continues as children remain vulnerable to trafficking, abuse, starvation and disease.’
The Bar Human Rights Committee (BHRC) has called on the government to lift the arbitrary cut-off date for applications from unaccompanied children to come to the UK and increase the number of children it will accept.
The BHRC also called for authorities to implement proper procedures for evaluating child refugee applications, including providing access to legal advice and written reasoning for refusals.
The demands came in a critical report documenting the demolition of the Calais ‘Jungle’ camp last October and subsequent failures by French and UK authorities to protect and process the estimated 1,000 unaccompanied minors living in the camp.
The report, Breakdown: the dismantling of theCalais ‘Jungle’ and of the promises to its unaccompanied children, concluded that the authorities failed to take effective steps to safeguard the welfare and safety of unaccompanied children, leaving many at risk.
Children, it said, were subjected to a chaotic and unlawful age verification and registration process, based in some cases on physical appearance alone, and given inadequate information about the process for admitting unaccompanied children into the UK under the Dubs Amendment
BHRC Chair, Kirsty Brimelow QC, said: ‘The unaccompanied children of Calais have faced horror, both in their home countries and in France, in “the Jungle” camp. Nearly a year later, the horror continues as children remain vulnerable to trafficking, abuse, starvation and disease.’
The Bar Council is ready to support a turn to the efficiencies that will make a difference
By Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, examines the latest ONS data on drug misuse and its implications for toxicology testing in family law cases
An interview with Rob Wagg, CEO of New Park Court Chambers
What meaningful steps can you take in 2026 to advance your legal career? asks Thomas Cowan of St Pauls Chambers
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, explains why drugs may appear in test results, despite the donor denying use of them
Ever wondered what a pupillage is like at the CPS? This Q and A provides an insight into the training, experience and next steps
The appointments of 96 new King’s Counsel (also known as silk) are announced today
Ready for the new way to do tax returns? David Southern KC continues his series explaining the impact on barristers. In part 2, a worked example shows the specific practicalities of adapting to the new system
Resolution of the criminal justice crisis does not lie in reheating old ideas that have been roundly rejected before, say Ed Vickers KC, Faras Baloch and Katie Bacon
With pupillage application season under way, Laura Wright reflects on her route to ‘tech barrister’ and offers advice for those aiming at a career at the Bar
