Guest post: "Britain must not turn its back on child refugees in Europe"

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I can only imagine my desperation if I had to consider sending my boys away just to keep them safe.

But if I ever had to, I’d want a mother like Karen to be there for them. Karen is an amazing woman who told her story of fostering a refugee boy and brought huge attention to a campaign to get more refugee children settled safely in Britain.

This week, MPs had the chance to vote to let mothers like Karen keep doing what they want to do - opening their homes and their hearts to refugee children who are in Europe all alone without a mum or dad to look after them. I'm ashamed to say that they did not, and that the government decided to close the door to the thousands of children who need our help. The campaign was only asking for 3,000 children to come to Britain. To put that in context – that would be just five children per parliamentary constituency, and nowhere near the 10,000 mostly Jewish children that Britain saved through the Kindertransport before the Second World War.

I took a special interest in this vote because I have been working at Theirworld to help create school places for Syrian refugee children in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, where many fleeing families arrive first. I have been focused on how to make sure that children never embark on a further dangerous journey to find a safe haven. When I saw that the British parliament was considering a vote to offer a welcome to 3,000 lone children who really need us to open our hearts and homes, I wanted to add my support. So last week I wrote to my local MP for the first time ever. I wanted his backing for refugee children, an issue that goes well beyond party politics. I know lots of Mumsnetters contacted their MPs too and have heard from many of you on Twitter. It was devastating to see the government vote down the proposal to give safety to lone refugee children in Europe.

But this does not stop there. The House of Lords last night voted to back the bill thanks to the efforts of Lord Dubs and other campaigners. So it goes back to the House of Commons next Tuesday with a chance for MPs to reconsider their vote and help 3,000 lone children.

One of the ways you can help them think again is to sign this petition. If enough of us do it then perhaps a few more MPs will listen and reconsider their vote. In pushing for this change we won't be on our own – we have the backing of lots of energetic dedicated groups like Citizens UK, Save the Children, HelpRefugees and others. This weekend the former Archbishop of Canterbury gave his blessing, arguing that this is a chance to honour what our parents and grandparents did in the face of an earlier catastrophe.

This is not a question of sparking a new political controversy - that is not my way and not the Mumsnet way, I don't think - it is a matter of simple humanity. While we can't ensure that every child is safe in his or her own country, we can act to prevent children dying on our doorstep here in Europe, and ensure a safe home and education and hope for a better future.

As long as this terrible crisis runs on and horribly on - then we have obligations to the children who are here in our continent. Our MPs now have a second chance to help these vulnerable children and we should help them to take it.

Please join me, and sign here: Britain must not turn its back on child refugees in Europe.

Yuk apparently there are no little children. The foster carers state the 'children' are teen boys.

Yukduck - under 5s are very unlikely to have survived as unaccompanied children in Europe.

And if you think evacuees (particularly young ones who couldn't do much in the way of labour) were welcomed around the country in WWII, you'd be wrong. Many of them were treated absolutely appallingly.

Both my grandparents brought their children back to London to take their chances because they were treated so appallingly by the people who had 'spare beds'.

This country has a long history of behaving like absolute cunts to others in need.

Well IPity that should be in the information. If people were to have that in front of them, know how it was being planned for, paid for etc they would probably say yes. Was that information afforded to the people voting on it? Perhaps that is why it was voted down. If people are unsure as to how something is going to be done they are much less likely to vote for it. Call me picky but with anything I like to have the full facts and at least evidence of a plan.

I'm not referring to teenagers under 18 but those who are over 18 who would as my DSS is would be considered legally an adult. We cannot have 2 rules, either you are an adult or you are not an adult, you cannot be both.

I am not anti-refugee but consider that it all needs to very well planned and thought out for the benefit (long and short term) of the refugees and the communities they will become part of. And Lynda is right not all the evacuees stories were happy. My older uncles and aunts were evacuated as they lived very close to London. My grandmother ended up moving to the area they had been placed in and taking them back because of such issues. We need to be absolutely sure that the homes they will be placed in are the best ones to give them the best chance of either settling here permanently or even for short term if relatives are eventually found.

It does appear to be unclear as to what is happening in the Gulf states as they don't always share that kind of information (and don't have to).

Lynda, do you remember a lot of TV coverage a while ago about the children that were taken from British orphanages to Australia? Many ended up as labourers etc and being treated very badly.

Also Britain is not the only country with a history of treating needy persons with utter contempt, it happens all over the world. Because that is unfortunately human nature.

There are many asylum seekers that do get leave to remain here and settle. Many of these children may yet end up here as it will be reviewed and may happen in a different form.

Oh I agree sporting. I'm just disagreeing with the rose-tinted view of the halcyon days when we accepted evacuees and children from the kindertransport with open arms.

People are trying to say this is different because these children are older, they're not in such great need, they're boys rather than girls etc etc. It's no different.

It does indeed happen all over the world. But interestingly, I think when people have been vulnerable themselves they are much more sympathetic and generous to others in need. I heard a Greek grandmother on the news the other day who has taken 6 young Syrian refugees (late teens/early 20s) into her home. She remembers what it was like to live under Nazi occupation and to be scared for her life.

Gwhy only under fives, yuk? A number of the children that came to England during the second world war as part of the kindertransport were teenagers. Teenagers ARE children and incredibly vulnerable to exploitation. Different culture and language are not a barrier to helping them find r an adequate excuse not to. Pretending teenagers are not children is utterly vile and astonishing cruel. Would you deny teenagers in your family help and tell them they're on their own?

The Kindertransport was done in the absence of governmental help as the government were reluctant to help, as they are now and was privately sponsored from what I understand. Some children were also held as 'enemies of the state' I think too.

Sporting, you seriously think mps voting on this didn't have all the information? Of course they did, those voting against are simply morally bankrupt. There are no two rules about who is a child, again you are exaggerating the importance of adults posing as children.

The measures for providing for these children are already in place as the UK has accepted refugee children for some time.

What the Gulf States are or not doing does not make the UK exempt from its obligations.

Lynda, the region I live in was Nazi occupied but there is still a lot of antipathy to refuge. My boyfriend's Gran hid in the wine cellar during WW2. There is some sympathy but I was gutted last year to see police write numbers on refugees' arms in the same region they persecuted so many Jews. Often Syrians are seen as 'other.'

In Greece the generosity from people with so little is amazing.

The Kindertransport helped children but their parents couldn't come and a lot of them died. It must have been so traumatic.

Ah Emily, I knew you would have all the answers, could you point me in their direction?

Could you also clarify for me the age which a person becomes an adult because I'm clearly not hip to what is the fashion now?

What do you think of the reports from Norway that over 60% of those claiming to children turned out to be well into adulthood, even in some cases nearly 30.

I look far younger than I really am. But I don't think I could pass as a teenager. (Well not without a huge bucket of il of olay!)

I cannot engage for the rest of the day as I am going to be working and off being morally bankrupt of course!

They maybe trans?

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/stefonknee-wolschtt-transgender-father-leaves-family-in-toronto-to-start-new-life-as-a-six-year-old-a6769051.html

I called the mps voting against morally bankrupt, not you, unless you're an mp,sporting?

I don't have all the answers but it seems better to accept the children into what may be an imperfect system than to leave them to be abducted, raped, starved or killed.

Legislation is in place and measures are in place to address the needs of refugee children in the UK.They just need to be implemented. That is fact,' not having all the answers.' UK law also clarifies what a child is, as you well know. Perpetuating a bizarre myth that refugee children are all thirty year old men is reaching really isn't it?

I think there have been a small number of people claiming to be childen when they are not that have been pounced on by right wing press and lapped up as the 'norm¨by credulous people. There are many stories of teenagers making a dangerous journey to escape war or persecution and this is far more representative of what is actually happening. Avoid the Daily Mail and Breitbart and find some better reading material maybe.

You also inferred I think upthread that 14 years is not really a child, which is untrue and an odd claim, sporting.

My great-grandfather was a child migrant taken from his family in England and sent to Australia. Apparently he suffered and witnessed horrible abuse. These kind of abuses are ongoing as we've seen. Not sure it's something I'd want to subject others to.

I, too, would like to have confidence that effective plans are being put in place to receive vulnerable child refugees (and I do mean children in genuine danger, not adult economic migrants posing as such)

Unfortunately IME it's likely that some who give such assurances will simply have formed a few committees, produced a couple of ill-written "reports", claimed a load of expenses and gone home to consider what lavishly funded post they might apply for next. I realize this sounds appallingly cynical and apologize for that, but sadly I can't ignore the sheer number of times I've seen it happen

Since it's clear that there's no real limit on the numbers - genuine or otherwise - who'd like to receive our help, this really does seem a good time for compassionate but level headed decision making rather than emotive outpourings of tosh

Child migrant, mimishimmi? Where was he from? The lady linked to in the op seemed like a caring foster worker. The childen may find themselves with someone kind and not at all abusive, whereas their others options seem limited and more alarming, abduction into sex trafficking being one.

This situation isn't at all comparable with evacuation in WW2.

Those children were thought to be in immediate danger from bombing or invasion. As in, within the next few days.

There was no vetting of host families. Children were billeted on anyone who had room.

There was not enough room in local schools, so evacuees and local children had to go to school part time, mornings or afternoons.

Some host families found it very difficult to cope with problems brought by evacuee children that they hadn't experienced before and had no training for. All while continuing to work at their own jobs and look after their own families. And I'm not talking about naice middle class families having to deal with working class children.

And this was all without language difficulties (except possibly in Wales) and with evacuee children who had been living with their families and going to school and hadn't been travelling all over Europe and living in camps.

Plus the great majority of wartime evacuees were aged fourteen and under and it was known who they were and where they had come from.

Also, I know people in Saudi and they've verified this for me, particularly the part about the children being provided free education

Ouch, "free education in Saudi" training up the next Jihadis no doubt. Did anyone see the programe about Saudi? Little children being taught to kill Jews and Christians?

As for those claiming the UK has no responsibility to help, you might want to look into the UN convention and protocols concerning refugees, both oh which the UK is a signatory too, and no leaving the EU wouldn't change that fact

I want to leave the EU and I want to help refugees esp women and children.

I am glad leaving the EU would not affect us taking responsibiilty for some of these poor people.

The sad thing is - the immigration the UK has experienced HAS hardened peoples hearts against them, that's the sad legacy of Labour. Thats the legacy of Gordon Brown telling some poor worried lady she was BIGOT. People are fed up.

Now this, I have no doubt people, the UK wold have been far more receptive to the idea had we not had huge waves of very very poor migrants from very poor EU countries.

OK - another questions which is likely to be ignored.

Allegedly 10,000 unaccompanied children (n.b., the children in Sarah's photo appear to be holding hands with female care-givers... mothers perhaps?) have gone missing in Europe - so where exactly are all the bodies of these 8 year olds?

You can hide a body or two I'll agree, but when 10,000 turn up in a field people notice.

Claims of 500,000 refugees are nonsense. They are Syrian workers who have had a change in visa status.
They have not been accorded refugee status and there is no official verification of any refugees. Ditto the UAE. Kuwait has apparently waived certain visa restrictions for Syrian workers. I see no official confirmation of refugee status there, so again, I am unconvinced.

There have been many personal donations made by nationals and expats living in the UAE; the government and ruling families are under little or no political or diplomatic pressure to change their policy.

I maintain that the energy expended on this and countless similar hectoring threads designed to polarise and promote a simplistic (unlimited refugee-welomers = saints, caution-sounding questioners = racist xenophobes) rhetoric should be better used.

All these words, all these months and not a single one to a leader of a rich gulf nation pointing out their heartless, racist, blah blah blah attitude.

Just a load of impractical virtue signalling from people who haven't even got a spare room.

Ouch, "free education in Saudi" training up the next Jihadis no doubt

But you're not a bigot at all

flavia. My mother was evacuated aged 7yrs from Canning Town around the docklands area of London in 1939 to Wales. She was moved in time of war for safety. She went to school and learned to speak Welsh. She was treated well but was probably one of the lucky ones.

I was thinking younger children, not to disrespect or exclude teenagers (of course they need safety too), but because younger children are more able to benefit from schooling, and are, whatever you may feel, easier to house. Some of the children pictured in the OP seemed a young school age which is why I suggested taking younger children to safety as a matter of priority.

I could house one or two small ones like the ones in the first picture, but I would struggle to house teenagers as I only have a small spare room.

Ipity unless you have personal experience of Saudi education, watch who you're calling a bigot. It makes you sound ignorant.

I went to school there. That was a fair comment. We were taught hatred.

IPityThePontipines

"OneWing - even if anyone said they would house a child refugee, you'd be back to complain about tax payer's money. That's why no one is answering you."

So in other words you want to force everyone else to bear the burden of supporting these migrants but are not prepared to house them yourself. Nice.

WholeFoods

"www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jan/20/virtue-signalling-putdown-passed-sell-by-date"

Nope - as long as the open borders crowd want everyone else to bear the burden of their personal "moral duty", virtue-signalling is the EXACT term for it!

Allegedly 10,000 unaccompanied children ... have gone missing in Europe - so where exactly are all the bodies of these 8 year olds?

Perhaps it depends on what "missing"means?

While it suits some only too well for us to believe they're all little kids wandering around in a tearful, bewildered state somewhere, is it really like that? Or is it possible many have willingly made their own way elsewhere, are now refusing to engage with agencies, weren't really children in the first place or any number of other reasons?

In the absence of any clarification about what's meant by "missing", maybe it's worth remembering that in the charity/aid industry, the way things are presented doesn't always reflect the reality

Yes Britain must. We have enough problems of our own, where foster places are near impossible to find for those who already need them.

As many have said, many of these ' children' are young men in their late teens or early 20s either traumatised through war or sold a pup by their people smuggler about free houses and cars and loose women. They are from a deeply mysogynistic culture.

No we must not have them here. Support them closer to home by all means available.

Ex labour voter, ex guardian reader.