Written question asked by Michelle Thomson (Independent (affiliation)) on Tuesday, 29 November 2016, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 1 December 2016. It was answered by Robert Goodwill (Conservative) on Tuesday, 6 December 2016 on behalf of the Home Office.

Asylum: Children

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect on the number of children who can enter the UK of the provisions of her Department's guidance, Implementation of section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 in France.

Answer: The guidance builds on the principles set out by the Home Secretary on 24 October. The criteria are intended to ensure that we are focusing on the most vulnerable children. We will be considering all those aged 12 and under, all children referred to us by the French authorities assessed as being at a high risk of sexual exploitation, and those nationalities most likely to qualify for refugee status in the UK, aged 15 or below. In doing this we are also establishing whether it is in each child’s best interests to come here. Since 10 October, we have transferred over 300 unaccompanied minors to the UK from France and, as the Home Secretary told Parliament on 24 October, we expect several hundred more children to be brought to the UK in the coming days and weeks.

Secondary information