At GMIAU we continue to make the case for Letting More Dubs Children In. Thank you to everyone who has helped spread the message. News that the camp at Grande-Synthe outside Dunkirk was destroyed by a fire in April only demonstrated the urgent need for children to have access to safe and legal routes to protection.
While the scheme was set to offer sanctuary in Britain to 3,000 unaccompanied children, the recent announcement by the immigration minister does mean that the number of unaccompanied children in Europe who will be brought to Britain under the Dubs scheme will be increased from 350 to 480 children.
And our work can make a difference. Since we last wrote to you 4 children we are representing have been granted refugee status!
As part of the campaign we have written about our experiences supporting 40 children from Calais in the North West. We have set out why we believe the UK must protect children from trafficking and exploitation by establishing safe and accessible legal routes to claim asylum in the UK.
We have had messages of support from MPs and councillors, offering to keep up the pressure in parliament and in councils across Greater Manchester. We’ve also had blogs published by Migrants Rights Network, Asylum Support Housing Advice, Open Democracy and the University of Oxford, helping to get our message out to more people. In May we will be running our second training for local authorities to ensure that children claiming asylum get the support they need to live in safety in the North West.
You can keep speaking up for these vulnerable children. Talk to your MP, prospective parliamentary candidates and Councillors about Letting More Dubs Children In.
You can also donate to GMIAU and help us represent children who have arrived in the UK and can’t access legal aid. Click on the ‘donate’ button or click here for a direct link to our Just Giving Page.
For more information about how to get involved in this campaign contact Denise McDowell by emailing denise@gmiau.org or telephoning 0161 769 8822