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.

She answers no questions, but just post links.
Yup, that's my experience.

These types remind me of the person st school that does one demo for half an hour before getting scared and in the way. Whatever the outrage of the moment is, whether they understand it or (more likely) not. Then spent the rest of sixth form going on about their radical credentials and feeling cool. Whilst being roundly pitied. For you older chaps think Rick the people's poet from The Young Ones.

These kids can't becoming to escape death can they unlucky, I mean it's not like there's been any war in Syria or Afghanistan recently is it?
And the war in Europe, where they are?

I think some of the outrage and use of 'children' is because of things like the photo in the OP - people feel like they being are made fools of...
We are talking about mainly older teens, mainly male. Why show a cute photo of small children unless there is an intent to deceive?

Precisely

I also object to the constant assertions that PPs are smearing deserving children, when so many - while acknowledging the difficulties involved - have said repeatedly that they're happy to help this group but simply want to be sure that they are children first

Since the objections to the constant reports of age misrepresentation really aren't hard to understand, I can only think that those who refuse to address this simply don't want to understand

As I've said before, sometimes the facts can be just so damned inconvenient ...

Have you contacted the czech fostering authorities and put yourself down as a possible host for a couple of migrant teens in need of a loving home?

There is no real point engaging with this farcical round and round in circles display. If you really want to see something approaching the same pointlessness just nail one of your own feet to the floor. It has about the same frustration and pain as engaging with a certain poster.

Agreed Sporting I actually think not responding to her posts is the way to go. There is nothing of value in them. They are just blatant attention seeking.

And the war in Europe, where they are?
And the war in the camps around Syria?
I like this guy - I like his honesty and I think he could be an asset to a new country but his story - basically his mates had gone and he was a bit bored and didn't think he had a future in the camps - is probably a fair reflection of lots of cases ...including older teens.

I have linked this before www.bbc.com/news/magazine-33986899

www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/03/help-for-syria-aid-campaign-secretly-run-by-uk-government

No, it was I who linked to your 'helpful' mates, the ones who 'helped' a couple of people to drown recently, and who encourage the smuggling trade to add to the killing of innocent migrants by lying about what they can expect when they come to Europe.

It was also I who stated I wouldn't directly engage any more, and I won't.

Your posts are puerile, cliched, ill-thought-out and, in my opinion, racist. You assert constantly that a narrow section of society deserves more aid than any other children on the planet. And all credibility is shot by your blatant refusal to engage in questions and debate.

You have dismissed many posters pointing out far more disadvantaged children worldwide who will never be able to afford a passage to Europe or the luxury of turning up their noses at help in countries they simply don't fancy.

I'm bored witless by the silly witterings you scatter into well reasoned and sensible threads.

As far as I'm aware, the Worldwide Tribe haven't been in Idomeni. fanakapan. Would you like to post a link that shows they were? I wasn't aware of that part of their work. As far as I know they have been in Calais, Lesbos and Turkey.

Noone was helping anyone to drown.

The Worldwide Tribe don't encourage the smuggling trade. You can't 'encourage' people to leave a warzone, danger, persecution or a place that denies them basic human rights such as housing and education. People will leave these situations regardless and it completely illogical to suggest that they can be deterred.

Far from encouraging anyone, since the EU deal with Turkey, the Worldwide Tribe have been working in Turkey to help people there.

They're not my friends. I They are people whose work I support though. The shadowy network of no borders activists encouraging the hoardes to come to Europe and infiltrating mumsnet is fictive. Tory mps voted to help those children. Volounteers are from all works of life.

You can start a thread to help other disadvanteged kids. Why not help them if you think they're being sidelined by people like me?

Ignore me if you think I'm peurile. Plenty of those that agree with you here for youto chat to. No need for pile ons attacking one poster or to fabricate things about volounteer groups thatare trying their best.

If it's a figment of mumsnet posters imagination - why did the Greek police arrest No Borders activists from Idomeni who had been distributing maps to refugees and telling the (largely non-swimmers) to traverse a flooded river?

We're all complicit to some respect aren't we? From those of us who could possibly stick more in the Save the Children pot in the charity shop through to those who allow their printer to be used to create dodgy maps and spread fear leading to death.

The shadowy network of no borders activists encouraging the hoardes to come to Europe and infiltrating mumsnet is fictive.

What I'm getting at hildur is that the notion that pretty much anyone that supports the idea that a number of refugees should be homed in the UK must be a 'no borders activist!!!' is fictive.

My other half went to two sites in Europe to help refugees. He's not particularly left wing. He's not a no borders activist.

The amount of people encouraging volounteers or refugees to engage in dangerous activity is very low.

There is a facebook group called 'No Borders.' Lots of people belong to it, probably many from vaious organisations. I doubt many of them are dangerous or violent or encouraging refugees to be.

Tory MP David Burrowes was in the Calais refugee camp condemning the treatment of people there. I dout very much he's a no borders activist.

The map spread disinformation in a situation where rumou was rife and information scarce. In the Idomeni camp people have been abandoned and any kind of order has broken down so tragedy and chaos is inevitable.

Excellent post bloggerme I heartily agree with you. As does everyone I speak to in real life. People are struggling, people are on the breadline. They see their living standards slipping, yet the bleeding hearts brigade (of which Sarah Brown seems to be a fully paid-up member) are demanding that already scarce resources are spread even more thinly.

Can Sarah (or anyone else) explain where the additional foster families will be found?

From the worldwide tribe website

This is our amazing friend Phoebe. She’s part of a human chain of people helping refugees cross a river from Greece into Macedonia.

And Matt (on the right in this picture, helping a family as they fall into the water)

Thanks fanakapan.

'The refugees crossing are part of a group who had reached breaking point at the camp in Idomeni (where the official border from Greece to Macedonia is now shut). Instead of growing hungrier, weaker and more desperate by the day, they decided they could not wait any longer and crossed the border through the water…'

Not quite 'helping people to drown' is it?

The refugees crossing are part of a group who had reached breaking point at the camp in Idomeni

Idomeni is in Greece.
Greece is in the EU.
Greece is in the Red Cross and many other global organisations.

Greece is not a combat zone.
Greece is a safe country.
Greece could accept asylum seekers - except those at Idomeni are not asylum seekers - they are economic migrants on a benefits-shopping spree trying to get the best deal they can by moving to the most lucrative EU country for benefits..

(where the official border from Greece to Macedonia is now shut).
Thank goodness. It has stopped the flow.

Instead of growing hungrier, weaker and more desperate by the day, they decided

Not to do the sensible thing and claim asylum in Greece

they could not wait any longer and crossed the border through the water…'

They didn't have to wait. They just needed to stroll up to any Greek border guard and say one word 'Asylum'. One of the social justice warriors that infest these camps could have assisted them in doing so.

Not quite 'helping people to drown' is it?

Oh yes it is . The activists actively encouraged them to cross that water knowing the river was in flood, knowing these people probably had little experience in flowing water as they came from dry, arid countries and they also assisted by helpfully giving them maps of where to cross the river and also stood in the river alongside the migrants assisting and encouraging them- there re pictures showing them doing this.

Irresponsible behaviour that led to deaths, for which those activists are responsible.

They should hang their heads in shame.

MASSIVE round of applause for Springing.

These activists have blood on their hands. I just hope news of such senseless deaths deters more economic migrants from taking any more advice from them.

There was no need to stay in the poor conditions of the border camp of travel to another country, there was a suitable stocked camp a mile away in Greece, transport was provided, they refused.

twitter.com/TedJeory/status/727767371772010496

This Twitter post includes some data on the age of refugees compared to the Kindertransport thing.

Emily must be delighted as I understand it 16/17 year old males will be brought to the UK. The government agrees the EU is not a safe place. If the EU is so unsafe I am voting to leave it.

Mrs Brown doesn't have a teenage daughter who has to share spaces with these PTSD males from a misogynistic culture. I am fucking fuming.

Just a thought, but does anyone know if there's a way of finding out where Sarah Brown's photo actually came from or who it's of?

It seems there's something called reverse image search, but I can't make it work on this ... then again I'm hopeless with technology, so does anyone else know better?

It is a very deceptive picture.

These would have more accurate photos to use...