Child Refugees From Calais Head For Britain As France Prepares To Demolish Jungle

The evacuation of the Calais "jungle" refugee camp continued this morning.

But France postponed the camp's demolition until later today or tomorrow to allow as many migrants as possible to leave voluntarily.  

More than 2,000 of nearly 8,000 refugees have already gone, most taken voluntarily by bus to other areas of France.  

The first of the younger children, those aged under-13, began their journey to Britain this morning.

Help Refugees said: 

A total of 1,291 unaccompanied children have been living the camp and of these, 200 have already come to the UK including 60 girls.  

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said some of the latest children to arrive will be coming under the "Dubs" amendment to the Immigration Act which allows vulnerable children into Britain when they have family here already.

Unaccompanied children will not be removed from the camp forcibly, and those who stay will be housed in the camp's converted shipping containers while the camp is dismantled. La Croix reports fears that many will simply run away.

Social media was divided on views of the refugees.

Piers Morgan tweeted: 

Refugee Solidarity tweeted:

Christian Salome of Auberge des Migrants told the BBC that those going were leaving voluntarily.

He said: "I'm much more concerned about later in the week when the only ones remaining are those who do not want to leave, who still want to reach England."

It is expected to take three days to dismantle the camp.

Meanwhile, tomorrow in London, celebrities including Gary Lineker, Sophie Barker, Lily Cole and Oona Chaplin will be joining more than a thousand people at the Millennium Bridge, London in a "solidarity" protest for the child refugees as part of Love in Action's "Have a Heart" campaign.

The aim is to raise awareness of the hundreds of children who still need to be allowed entry to the UK, many with legal rights to be here. 

Remi Olajoykegbe, co-founder of Love in Action, said: "We, the ordinary people of the UK will stand together in solidarity with the inhabitants and volunteers of the Calais jungle refugee camp. By uniting, we will show the British Government and the media that there are many people in the UK who would welcome these refugees – people who are in desperate need of help and support – to this country with open arms."

Oona Chaplin said: "Children are our future, right? Not some children, but all children. Have a heart, and a little foresight and let's look after our future."