This morning Refugee Action was at court to hear a ground-breaking legal judgment, recognising the rights of three very vulnerable Syrian children and one of their siblings to be reunited with family members in the UK.

The case, brought by Citizens UK, the Migrants’ Law Project and Bhatt Murphy Solicitors, affected four vulnerable asylum seekers currently living in the Calais “Jungle”. It ruled that current procedures for reuniting family members within Europe were not adequate to protect these young people’s human rights, due to their vulnerabilities and the extremely deplorable conditions they were forced to endure in Calais.

In response to the judgment, Refugee Action’s Chief Executive Stephen Hale said:

“Justice has prevailed. This court case should never have been necessary but it should now be possible for other vulnerable young children to reunite with their loved ones in the UK.

“Refugee Action urges the government to act now on their moral and legal obligations to swiftly reunite refugees, still marooned in appalling conditions in Calais and Dunkirk, with their families here in the UK.”

Media enquiries

For further information about this case, please see the Migrants’ Law Project website. 

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact the Refugee Action media office.