Save the Children fears for minors in Calais ‘Jungle’

NEW YORK: The head of Save the Children voiced concern over unaccompanied minors in the ‘Jungle’ migrant camp being dismantled in France, calling for a smooth process to ensure their safety.

The charity estimated that around 1,000 children had been in the makeshift complex in Calais, a longtime launchpad for migrants to Britain which French authorities have begun tearing down.

“It’s very scary, I think, for kids particularly. You see them coming in with bulldozers. This is where children have been living for weeks and months in some cases,” Carolyn Miles, the president and CEO of Save the Children, told AFP at a New York gala Tuesday night to support the group. Save the Children had earlier urged France to hold off on the demolition.

Miles said Britain and France were both paying attention to unaccompanied children but urged the governments to ensure a clear path forward, especially for children who ultimately are not admitted to enter Britain.

It’s very scary, I think, for kids particularly. You see them coming in with bulldozers. This is where children have been living for weeks and months in some cases. Carolyn Miles, the president and CEO of Save the Children

It is “really important, especially now when things are so chaotic there, that we keep these children safe and we make sure that they get the opportunity that they deserve to go on from there,” she said.

Some 6,000 to 8,000 migrants, mostly Afghans, Sudanese and Eritreans, had been staying in the squalid camp with hopes of crossing the Channel to find better lives in Britain.

Save the Children brought out star power for the annual fundraiser toward the group’s key goals of ending preventable child deaths and improving educational access. — AFP