London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 09, 2025

Revealed: 10,000 child refugees risked their lives to enter Britain

Revealed: 10,000 child refugees risked their lives to enter Britain

The vast majority of arrivals hid illegally in lorries rather than using safe schemes backed by government
More than 10,000 unaccompanied children are believed to have entered the UK over the past decade using dangerous methods such as hiding in the back of a lorry according to new analysis that raises fresh scrutiny over the Home Office’s approach towards helping young refugees.

Although the Home Office cites the volume of arrivals as proof of its compassion, lawyers accuse it of being disingenuous and say that in reality 90% of the minors have illegally entered the UK and done so by risking their lives.

The research, by legal charity Safe Passage, follows last week’s vote in the Commons which rejected proposals to keep protections for child refugees in the redrafted EU withdrawal agreement bill.

Latest official statistics reveal that 12,248 unaccompanied minors have been granted protection in the UK since 2010, a number the Home Office says shows off its “proud record of helping vulnerable children”.

However, only 700 or so have arrived through government schemes that guarantee the safety of minors.

Jennine Walker, head of UK legal and arrivals at Safe Passage, said: “It beggars belief that the government is proudly proclaiming it has helped thousands of children, when so many of those have endured horrendous journeys just to reach our shores.”

An audit of law firms who represent asylum-seeking children suggests that nine out of 10 unaccompanied minors who have illegally entered the UK did so by lorry. The Home Office does not disclose how child refugees reached the UK.

Giulia Tranchina, a solicitor at Wilson, has worked on at least 50 child refugee cases with each one involving illegal entry via lorry. “All were traumatised with psychiatric issues, most have PTSD and all had endured awful experiences,” she said. “Many had also been tortured. They would try for months to make it by lorry, sleeping in parks or on the streets by day and then making their way to lorry parks at night. Older boys and adults would show them how to jump.”

Eleanor Simon, a solicitor from Coram Children’s Legal Centre in London has represented dozens of child refugees with the “vast majority” arriving by lorry.

“One made it to the UK by clinging to the wheel arch of a coach, centimetres from the engine and at risk of falling under the wheel at any moment. Another came in a freezer container and spent the whole journey thinking he would die,” she said.

Mark Housby, senior caseworker at South West London Law Centres has represented 12 unaccompanied minors since June with all but one arriving by lorry. His colleague, senior solicitor Rajitha Kumar, is currently representing 33 unaccompanied minors of which 27 travelled by lorry. Another caseworker, Pradeep Kumar, has represented 18 minors since March with just two arriving legally through a government scheme from Greece.

“Some have distressing experiences in France and other EU countries. Some did not find any major difference between the persecutors they fled from and the authorities who dealt with them during their journey to the UK,” said Kumar.

Such accounts, said Walker, articulated how children are risking their lives because there are not enough safe and legal routes to reach the UK to seek asylum. “Instead of hiding behind misleading stats, the government must recognise it has a responsibility to help children safely claim asylum in the UK.”

The Home Office came in for renewed criticism on Saturday when a coalition of human rights organisations accused it of deliberately and destructively preventing child refugees from being reunited with their families.

Criticising last week’s parliamentary vote which blocked the rights of child refugees being reunited with family members living in the UK, Amnesty International UK, Refugee Council and Save the Children said it constituted a “flagrant breach of international law, causing irreversible harm to children in this country”.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “Those who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety. There are a number of safe and legal routes available to provide protection for the most vulnerable refugees, including children.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×