Child migrants SUE Government for not letting them into Britain

Lawyers representing 36 children say the Government broke its promise to bring vulnerable accompanies minors to the UK under section 67 of the Immigration Act, which is know as the Dubs Amendment.

The majority of those involved in the legal action - 28 - have had their applications turned down while the others involved are still waiting to hear.

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Child migrants from Calais have started legal proceedings agains the Home Secretary Amber Rudd

Lawyers acting for the children argue the Home Office has failed to bring many of the vulnerable refugee children to the UK and has not given proper written decisions when refusing applications.

The UK Government agreed to take in vulnerable, young migrants  after pressure from Lord Dubs and others, before the migrant was demolished by French authorities in October this year.

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One of the children from Calais arrives at Croydon in the UK

Toufique Hossain, director of public law at Duncan Lewis Solicitors, told The Guardian: "The Government has rendered these children, including some as young as 13, to effectively be without any legal remedy until well into the new year, which is the earliest that the relevant Home Office officials have agreed to give reasons for refusing some of these children."

He added: "The way that this has all been handled by both the UK and French authorities is nothing short of shameful.

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A migrant child from Calais arrives in the UK

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Home Secretary Amber Rudd

"It is morally reprehensible and, we argue, simply unlawful that these children have not been given written reasons as to why their applications were refused and that these children were told about the refusals in group meetings without a proper procedure in place."

The Home Office had come under fire for tightening the criteria over who would qualify for asylum in the UK.

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A child is escorted out of the migrant camp in Calais

Under the new provisions, a child must be either 12 or under, at high risk of sexual exploitation, be 15 or under and either of Syrian or Sudanese nationality, or be under 18 and a sibling of someone fitting these criteria.

Lord Dubs said at the time: "I think in those new eligibility criteria they have breached both the letter and the spirit of the amendment. I think they have gone back on their word."

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Child migrants in Calais

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "It would be inappropriate to comment on ongoing legal proceedings."

The first wave of child migrants arrived from Calais in October, but many provoked controversy by appearing to be much older than 18-year-old.

Indeed, several were later proven to be adults in what was a monumentally embarrassing episode for the Home Office, which was powerless to conduct age defining dental checks because it would have infringed on the migrants' human rights.