Kindertransport Survivors Call For A New Kindertransport For Today's Child Refugees

80 years after they were saved by Britain, survivors of the Kindertransport have today [15th November 2018] issued a statement urging the government to provide more routes to sanctuary for child refugees. As 1000 people gather in London to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Kindertransport, 'Kinder' saved by that rescue operation and living in Britain today are calling on government to "match the efforts of the Kindertransport by committing to resettle 10,000 child refugees over the next 10 years from Europe and conflict regions."

The statement, which has been signed by survivors including Dame Stephanie Shirley, Rabbi Harry Jacobi, Lord Alf Dubs and others, says:

"As former child refugees ourselves, we believe the UK government should give more children at risk the same life-saving opportunity that we had... Children seeking asylum have left their homes, their countries, their friends and families. They continue to live in unsanitary and unsafe camps or on the streets because the alternative is war, conflict and persecution. They have no other choice. But we do have a choice."

The statement, coordinated by Lord Dubs and fellow Kindertransportee Sir Erich Reich, continues "We will be forever indebted to the families and communities who at an extraordinary time, did an extraordinary thing, and gave us a home. Now we have an opportunity to show that those values of humanitarian compassion reflect not only our country’s past but also our present and future."

The Kinder, who were amongst 10,000 mostly Jewish children brought to the UK from Nazi-occupied Europe as unaccompanied child refugees, are supporting the 'Our Turn' campaign, led by refugee charity Safe Passage and Lord Dubs - who at the age of six arrived alone on the Kindertransport from Prague.

The UN estimates that over half a million children will be in urgent need of resettlement by 2019. Over 20,000 unaccompanied child refugees arrived in Europe in 2017.



Beth Gardiner Smith, CEO of Safe Passage said "Through Freedom of Information requests, Safe Passage has discovered the UK has resettled just 20 unaccompanied children from conflict zones in the past 2 years. The Kindertransport brought 10,000 children to safety in 10 months on the eve of World War II. Our history shows us we can and must do better.

"There are thousands of highly vulnerable child refugees in Europe whose lives are on hold because they don’t have access to secure accommodation or education. The 10,000 children saved by the Kindertransport had a chance to grow up in safety, and contribute to society in countless ways. Today's refugee children deserve that same chance. We are proud to support the call by Kindertransport survivors for Britain to do its bit again today and  resettle 10,000 children at risk over the next 10 years."

The signatories to the statement are amongst over 60 Kinder who will be honoured by 1000 guests at a Kindertransport commemoration at the Quakers' Friends House, organised by Lord Dubs and Barbara Winton, whose father Sir Nicholas organised Kindertransports that saved 669 children from Czechoslovakia.

Speakers and guests at the commemoration include the Chief Rabbi, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Immigration Minister, Dame Esther Rantzen, Sir David Attenborough and Vanessa Redgrave.

Also attending the commemoration are council leaders from across the country supporting the Our Turn campaign, who have already pledged nearly 800 places for child refugees if the government provides the necessary funding.