Child refugees

Listen to this child- watch his eyes

Imagine he is your grandson ...

www.facebook.com/431256660252368/videos/1029517463759615/

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The suffering of all these children is just too much for any decent human being to turn spa way from surely , the children in Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, refugee camps in Europe , yet so many do turn away from them .

All I can do is keep giving and keep praying, but I want to do more

Looks like all the pressure might have had an effect with Cameron saying yesterday he would allow some unaccompanied children in the EU to come to the UK. He has not said how many.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-36200366

Not promised any extra cash. He seems to be putting the onus on LAs - like they've got money to spare

Cameron has specified Syrians- which will exclude most of those in Calais.

He's good a making minimal commitments. Like the 20,000 Syrian "most vulnerable" refugees over the life of the parliament which is a very small number. And will also put a burden on LAs.
Many of the non vulnerable have qualifications and skills (IT, medicine etc) that are needed in our economy but I'm afraid Cameron is only worried about losing votes to UKIP.

Our local authority has £450 less to spend on each individual this year, thanks to the government cuts. We are an umbrella area for asylum seekers. I have no problem with that, though the lack of work/housing/general deprivation is an issue for all of us.
For the government to expect cash strapped LA's to provide the necessary services for these children with no financial support from central government is disgraceful.

Quite Whitewave and lam64. Of course it's appalling what's happening to these children BUT as the others have said we can barely support our own folks in need. Why have not the countries these children must have already passed through been made to accept. them esp the French where they are now? As usual they all want to come here-to fill our schools, hospitals, houses and receive our cash. We do not have an endless pit of money!
Charity begins at home.

Oh newquay it breaks my heart to hear someone willing to reject these tiny ones, who are alone and subject to violence and worse. Maybe another country should have taken them in but they haven't. Imagine one of your grandchildren, alone, in a strange country, hiding in woods because they are frightened at what might happen to them. They are so tiny many of them all they know is that they want love, warmth food and security. They don't rationalise it in terms of who can or can't or indeed is willing to afford it.

Oh Whitewave don't misunderstand me-it IS truly heart rending I agree but their plight should have been addressed before they ever got this far! Why does no one tell them to claim asylum where they first arrive or in France now? Why is England always seen as the "go to" country?

It doesn't matter what should have been done, the fact is it isn't being done and we have all these tinies grieving for their mum, alone and frightened. I never thought I would ever see this again in Europe, but there we have it we have let us hope we can show how much we have progressed since WW2, civilisation and compassion is the key.

Does anyone know how many are tiny, or are the bulk teenagers? Nobody on tv seems to be saying.

If they are really young then why on earth did the EU countries they arrived in not prioritise them? It seems bizarre if they are really wandering around on their own as continental Europe is very fond of children.

Yes, we should help them, but so should France and Italy and Germany, and although they do have a load of adult immigrants, the question is why, if there are so many children,they would not have been put at the front of the queue for care?
It's a real question which needs to be asked, as children should always be cared for first.
Perhaps this is very complex, children being put into care, but then leaving on their own?

Where is the evidence that they are all teenagers?

You are right ww in that this is happening, so let's do something about it, if nobody else is , but I Find it hard to understand why so many( the figures if true, are large) can have slipped through the net in all those countries.

I think that the whole situation from day one has been mishandled, children will easily have got through along with adults. Their families have sent them in the heartfelt hope that they will be safe and secure from violence. We can't turn our backs.

I don't think there is any evidence, that's why I ask if perhaps the bulk are teenagers, not sure that anyone seems to know.

I would hope that my 14 and 16 year old grandchildren would get help if they needed it.
Does it really matter?
They are all children.

Hope that we take the younger ones first.

Yes, it matters that small children are the first to be cared for.

I think they are mostly teenagers. So what? Bit hard to be all alone in a hostile environment at fourteen, sixteen, or even eighteen. They don't have to be sweet little cuddlies to need care.

ww was talking about tinies. I wondered what the bulk of the ages was of the children.