Foreigners

Jalima your Dad was in both wars?! How unlucky was he.
rosesarered
Well, I think he lied about his age so that he could join the RN during WW1, and was still in for WW2 - but was lucky not to be injured. That is another story! (but traumatised by some of the things he saw).

So why did you i9mply no girls had arrived, if you knew one had?
She's still a girl and not a boy, however old she is.

A girl has arrived already. You obviously missed her.
Yes, but so pleased about that.

not quite sure whether this 'trophy' is an appropriate momentum, but on the other hand feels it is a reminder of the follies and horrors of war.
'Turn your swords into ploughshares'

or keep them as a reminder.

Defence is so different to aggression.

This is what happens when we challenge children's ages.

www.opendemocracy.net/5050/kamena-dorling/lost-childhoods-age-disputes-in-uk-asylum-system

Not only have they lost their childhood in their country of origin, but it can take up to three years to get the proof needed to be accepted here.

I hope people who query this realise what they are doing.

What about much younger children whose childhood and future could well be jeopardised by others much older who are getting ahead of them? Are they unimportant? I feel a lot more worried about a lone 10 year old than a 17? Year old.

I think they should have started in the reverse order - youngest first as a priority, up to the oldest.

You should complain to the Home Office, who organised the priority. My understanding is that there are few unaccompanied minors. The priority was the unaccompanied ones, most of whom have already been waiting months if not years.

I wonder how old people think this young man was...

I saw from a report by a person helping the refugees in the Jungle that it was easier to check the older children as they sometimes still had papers with them and knew more facts. The younger children take a lot longer to process but some are going through the checking process now.

It's Daniel Radcliffe and I think he was 18 when he was in Equus, wasn't he? He certainly doesn't look older.

17?

Well, old enough (in fact a year older) to join the Army?

I just can't believe some of the comments made on this thread. The unnecessary references about whose relative fought in which war. The idea that we have no responsibility for any of these children and should subject them to intrusive unreliable examinations so we can reject them more thoroughly. Does no one have the common humanity to realise that even if they are over 18 these people have suffered in wars, made an incredible journey and been housed in a terrible camp. They have relatives in this country who will welcome them, why on earth would you want to keep them apart.
gillybob the Sudanese young man was as happy as he could be in the NE. He had made friends and was doing a creative writing course. He missed his family.
Why do people think because they are from another country and a different culture refugees have none of the feelings we do?

He was 17. I don't think he looks younger than the pictures I've seen of the refugees from Calais.

This is what is done at the moment about age testing for asylum seekers.

fullfact.org/immigration/age-assessments-calais-asylum-seekers/

Not sure how any more can be done.

'Fourteen children arrived at an immigration centre in Croydon, south London, on Thursday morning, days before the camp in Calais is expected to be demolished on Monday.

Among the group were five boys aged 12 to 14. There were also six boys and three girls described as slightly older teenagers. Six youngsters, including all the girls, covered their heads and faces in towels as they were greeted by reporters and photographers.

More than 50 of over 1,000 children in the camp have arrived in the UK under a programme to resettle unaccompanied minors. The latest group were the first to cover their faces, according to volunteers.'

Today's arrivals.

Happy to hear we could accommodate trisher

I wonder why they covered themselves in towels DJ ? Not trying to be clever or awkward, just wondering.

Thank you Jen .
Many people in Calais have been wary about being photographed, according to a friend of mine who has been there. He gives examples such as: someone fleeing because their brother had been killed by a political faction so were quite reasonably very wary about having their face on social media, given that they had come from a very dangerous place and were still not in a safe place in Calais.
I agree with the French spokesperson who said it is the UK's responsibility to process the asylum claims of those who with to come here. The clock is surely ticking on this.

I read somewhere or other that they had been advised to cover their heads by charity workers after the reporting in the press. They are minors and entitled to privacy under British law - not have their pictures plastered all over the gutter press, accusing them of being adults.

So trisher, it's fine to discuss the pre war kinder transport at some length but not fine to discuss the cause of that transport. Unless you are a moderator, what gives you the right to tell others that their posts are irrelevant? As I guess that comment was probably in the main aimed at me, I would point out that my last post was in conversation with roses and Jalima, and not actually directed at you.

I don't think the discussions about relatives who fought in wars is irrelevant though trisher in fact quite the contrary.

It is time we did something about helping unaccompanied children in these camps, some are as young as 10

But it is clear that there are young men, posing as children, who are taking advantage of this which means that there was X number of places which ought to have gone to vulnerable children stolen by these fraudsters.

Jalima of course they should have started with the youngest first. It beggars belief that those 'organising' this can be so stupid.

Did you see QT last night and what Yannis Varoufakis speaking about the benefits to the host country of respecting refugees? Food for thought.

Started writing a sentence then had to look for his surname spelling and then went on a slightly different grammatical track! Sorry - but I expect you get my drift.