Brexit: Johnson condemned for dropping pledge to replace family reunion law

Lawyers warn loss of reunion rights for unaccompanied refugee children will put them in danger

Harriet Grant
Sun 22 Dec 2019 15.34 GMT
Last modified on Sun 22 Dec 2019 20.00 GMT

The loss of family reunion rights for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children will leave them with “no options” except taking dangerous routes and using smugglers, charities in France and Greece are warning.

The prime minister, Boris Johnson, faced criticism after he told parliament he had dropped a promise to replace the EU law that allows child refugees stranded in Europe to reunite with family members in the UK after Brexit.

Clare Moseley, the director of Care4Calais, said the news was devastating for those working with young asylum-seekers.

“I’m so shocked. This will have a massive impact. Just yesterday I was with an Afghan boy whose mother is dead, his father is in the UK, there is nowhere else that boy should be. The idea that he won’t have that right to join his father at all is horrific. How could anyone think there is anywhere else that boy should be?

“We have many very young Afghan boys here. Some are under 13. Nearly all the young people here are trying to reach family in the UK. That is the only reason anyone would put up with the horrible conditions here.”

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