Five years ago today, the UK officially left the EU, closing the door on more than just a political chapter - it also meant losing vital protections for child refugees. Before Brexit, the Dublin III Regulation provided a safe route for unaccompanied children in Europe to reunite with family in the UK. But when the UK left the EU, Dublin III ended - and nothing replaced it.
“As safe routes, Dublin III and the Dubs scheme used to be protection tools. Today, the lack of accessible alternatives means we are not able to compete on equal terms with smugglers who make promises to children to cross the Channel within a few days and actually deliver on those promises.”
-Safe Passage Lawyer
Since 2018, over 10,000 children have been forced to make a dangerous journey across the Channel to reach loved ones in the UK, faced with the lack of safe alternatives. Through our legal casework with refugee families, we see every day the disastrous consequences this has for children:
❌ No workable route to join extended family. Under Dublin III, children could reunite with siblings, aunts, uncles, or grandparents in the UK. While a route still technically exists, it is long, complex, overwhelmingly leads to refusals and therefore requiring lengthy appeals – which leaves many children with no safe way to join loved ones.
❌ Endless delays. Dublin III had strict deadlines to prevent children from being stuck in limbo. Without it, children are waiting months, or even years, in unsafe conditions.
❌ More children falling into smugglers’ hands. Every day, at least 17 unaccompanied children in Europe go missing, many thought to have become victims of violence and exploitation. That’s the reality of the lack of safe routes for child refugees.
Children who might have been able to reunite with family five years ago are now stranded on the streets of Calais, trapped in overcrowded Greek camps, or enduring exploitation. We estimate that a mere 5% of the children we supported as an organisation to reunite under Dublin III would likely qualify now under the UK’s rules.
For young people like Muste, who accessed the Dubs scheme to travel safely to the UK, safe routes were life-changing. But not everyone has been as lucky. Muste recalls a friend from Calais:
“We were there together for months. His life is very different to mine. He lives on the street and sometimes doesn’t have food to eat.”
The UK must do better. Here’s how:
1. Open new safe routes, like a refugee visa, to allow refugees to come here without risking their lives
2. Fix the family reunion system, including by cutting down processing times, improving decision-making and making it easier for child refugees to reunite with family
3. Renew cooperation with the European Union, including France, to ensure a joined-up and compassionate response on refugee protection
We will continue to fight to make these a reality – support us by joining Routes To Safety campaign or making a donation today.