CALAIS CHILDREN COURT CASE

CALAIS CHILDREN COURT CASE:

UPDATE 12.07.19

As you know we challenged the Home Office in the High Court for their failure to implement proper procedures for the young people. (ZS vs. the Secretary of State 2018). The CALAIS CHILDREN film supplied vital evidence. After nearly a year we’ve finally got our judgment!  The Court ruled that the Home Office had acted unlawfully in its application of the Dubs Amendment on two counts:

  1. It had not conducted proper assessments of the Calais minors, nor provided decisions in writing, meaning refusals could not be challenged.
  2. It failed to make its procedures clear to the young people, their advocates, the French government or local authorities. The result of this in practice was that no child in Europe could access the Dubs places that still (at June 2019) re- main available, and which UK law requires the Home Office to fill.

https://www.duncanlewis.co.uk/news/Afghan_Child_Represented_by_Duncan_Lewis_Solicitors_Challenges_Home_Office_on_%E2%80%98Dubs_Amend- ment%E2%80%99_High_Court_hearing_28_February_and_1_ March_2018_(7_February_2018).html

https://www.gold.ac.uk/news/clayton-judicial-review/

We are so proud that the film played such an important role in challenging the government’s hostile and unlawful policies. However they still have not agreed to bring ZS and out of 36 children to the UK so we are proceeding to the Court of Appeal.

Screenings continue- over 250 in the two years since the film came out, including in the High Court case and in Parliament.

For a full list, see:

http://calais.gebnet.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/SCREENING-LISTING-COLLECTION-FINAL-V4.pdf

or

http://calais.gebnet.co.uk/past-screenings

We have also built strong connections with Cities of Sanctuary, Stand up to Racism, Amnesty, the Quakers, JCORE and many other groups who are taking the work forward.

We carry on supporting many f the young people in the film – those who are still stranded in Belgium and France, and those who made it to the UK and are trying to build a life here.

Thanks so much for your support- you can book the film by contacting us at this site, and you can contribute to our ongoing work by using the link on this site.

We will never stop until we have justice for these children.

All best Sue Clayton

CALAIS CHILDREN CASE IN THE HIGH COURT  FEB 28th -MARCH 2nd 2018

In momentous news, we are proud to announce that the case that Sue launched with lawyers Duncan Lewis reached the Royal Courts of Justice last week for a Judicial Review. Sue persuaded lawyers from Duncan Lewis Solicitors to visit the Jungle when she realised that most of the young people there had a legal case to already be in the UK.  The lawyers arrived and were able to take on 37 cases of minors with extreme vulnerability. Our case to have them brought here under the Dubs Amendment was rejected in the lower court and on appeal. However we were granted the right to a Judicial review where we have challenged the Home Office saying that their implementation of the Dubs Amendment is unlawful. For more, see this Guardian article and Goldsmith’s University news.

Information on the court case can be found on the Duncan Lewis website: here and here.

We expect a judgement in 2 months. Thanks to everyone who ash supported the film and the campaign. We will not rest until these children get justice.  – Sue Clayton

Dear all
Hope everyone is well! We have done 70 screenings so far at venues as diverse as cinemas, film festivals, pubs, synagogues, trade union conferences , and at Calais for volunteers and refugees. There are a ton of further new screenings – see www.calais.gebnet.co.uk for more – listed on this site.

BIG NEWS: NEXT WEEK WE ARE FINALLY IN THE HIGH COURT!!! After I got Duncan Lewis lawyers to come to the Jungle and they were able to take on pro bono 37 of the most vulnerable of the children, we have been though various legal processes particularly with “ ZS” the lead case, (who you see in the film walking at night in the streets of Luchon, saying he has tried to kill himself several times). The case has now reached the High Court where our challenge to the Home Office will be heard on Weds 28th Feb and Thurs 1st March. The film and my witness statement have gone in, and everyone who had contributed to funding and making the film should be so very proud that we have made an intervention into the Judicial process at the highest level.

Anyone is welcome too attend the actual case (though its 2 days- a lot of commitment!- you can drop in if you want to see justice at work…In court of course we all have to be on super-best behaviour or they will just throw it out.) And there is going to be a demo both days outside the court, organised by Stand Up to Racism http://www.standuptoracism.org.uk/page/2/ Outside the Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London, WC2A 2LL, on 28th Feb and March 1st at 9.30am.

There is a small chance the case will be adjourned as the Home Office has done this before so I will keep the www.calais.gebnet.co.uk updated- the latest date it can be adjourned is this Monday 26h Feb.

There is also going to be a screening in Parliament, hosted by Lord Roger Roberts and Lord Alf Dubs- it was to have been end of January but was moved because of the EU debates, likely now to be in April. Again I’ll list it on the site.

MORE BIG NEWS: I have been at nearly all the screenings and intend to keep doing so- and we still are able to raise money at then to support the kids in the film as I promised all along to do. But long term need to get the film wider release. So- we have been able to secure a deal with ARTE, the amazing French/German arts/culture/politics channel!!!! They are going to act as sales agents to market the film internationally!! Which is brilliant as I hope this can be seen all over Europe and hopefully Mexico, Canada, Australia and other places involved in the ‘border’ issue. As a not-profit, we’ll continue to put money back into the Calais issue- we seek to support, as well as the kids, a day centre refuge for them in Calais, and a new project- a container that will be turned into a wellness centre for the long term volunteers, many of whom are now suffering from burn out and exhaustion and need a place where they can switch off for 20 minutes and process th kind of horrendous stuff they have to deal with every day. So we hope any sales will be able to expand the support we do, and help both the causes. It is costing me personally £14,500 to clear the archive for world sales and provide all the formats they need in five languages- English, Italian, Spanish, French and German. I hesitate to ask for donations again as many of you would I suspect I suspect rather give money to the kids. But if anyone is still interested in donating to get this out to with world, as ever use the links on this page (use the Paypal option- you don’t need to have a Paypal account) – and as ever the books are open to anyone who wants to see how the money is received and how spent.

All very best to everyone and thanks for your ongoing support. Could not have happened without you.