Walthamstow Says Welcome: My Pledge to Table Legislation to Safeguard Child Refugees -
How You Can Help!
The Help Refugees census was published this week, revealing a 29% increase in arrivals at the Calais Refugee Camp in the last month. This census also confirmed there are 865 children there, of whom 78% are alone. Yet only 1 in 5 of the refugees at the camps, including these children, are in secure accommodation and there is no provision for children at the camp at all. Despite the Alf Dubs amendment being passed in March 2016 to offer child refugees safety in the UK, not a single child has been resettled to the UK from France, Greece or Italy as yet. The youngest child at the camp currently is 8 years old. Many have family in the UK but for a lack of a process to manage their status are in limbo in this camp.
To change this, this week I have pledged to table legislation to bring these children under UK safeguarding legislation via the Children and Social Work Bill which will come to parliament in the autumn. This provision would also make sure they come to the UK to be assessed to meet our ambition to have no child in these camps by Christmas.
Already several MPs and Lords have said they will support this move- but we need your help to ask friends and family in other areas around the country to ask their MP to support this proposal too. Please share this article on your social media and ask others around the UK to ask their MP to back this call to extend our safeguarding principles to refugee children.
To change this, this week I have pledged to table legislation to bring these children under UK safeguarding legislation via the Children and Social Work Bill which will come to parliament in the autumn. This provision would also make sure they come to the UK to be assessed to meet our ambition to have no child in these camps by Christmas.
Already several MPs and Lords have said they will support this move- but we need your help to ask friends and family in other areas around the country to ask their MP to support this proposal too. Please share this article on your social media and ask others around the UK to ask their MP to back this call to extend our safeguarding principles to refugee children.
The Refugee Mens' Pantalonathon- How, What and Where You Can Donate in E17
Thank you to everyone who has been in touch so far to offer to help with donations for the refugees in Calais and our next Walthamstow action day. We are focusing this time on helping collect clothes for men at the camp, ahead of the autumn. The Help Refugees Warehouse in Calais is desperately short of small and medium mens clothes and is also asking for unused underwear for refugee men or donations of money to purchase underwear for them.
All this coming week 22-26th August you can drop off donations of these items or money towards them at my office at 23 Orford Road between 9.30am and 6pm. Thank you to the Higham Hill Hub who have also offered to collect items via theHomemade Cafe and Patiserie - 311 Higham Hill Rd from 10am to 5pm. Finally, you can also drop off donations via 123 Salop Road by prior appointment. Please email and we will put you in touch with Abigail to arrange delivery. Please do also share the details of where and what to donate these items with other local residents.
All this coming week 22-26th August you can drop off donations of these items or money towards them at my office at 23 Orford Road between 9.30am and 6pm. Thank you to the Higham Hill Hub who have also offered to collect items via theHomemade Cafe and Patiserie - 311 Higham Hill Rd from 10am to 5pm. Finally, you can also drop off donations via 123 Salop Road by prior appointment. Please email and we will put you in touch with Abigail to arrange delivery. Please do also share the details of where and what to donate these items with other local residents.
The Refugee Kitchen volunteers in Walthamstow are also seeking to take 2000 flapjacks to Calais for refugees in the next week as well. They are asking for donations of such bakes with no nuts, cut small, packed with clingfilm or foil between layers and in Tupperware or a clingfilmed box or shoe box. These can be delivered to the Italian Deli on Hoe Street, The Hornbeam Centre at the Bakers Arms or Debbie Bliss's shop on Orford Road 27/28/29/30 August with the cut off 5pm on the 30th to make the Calais visit.
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