Britain's immigration authorities could renege on a promise to reunite child refugees with their parents after Brexit, it has been reported.
Ministers are accused of making no provision to transfer unaccompanied minors from mainland Europe to be with their families once the UK is freed from European Union rules after December 31.
Children in refugee camps who fled the Taliban in Afghanistan or the fighting in Syria are struggling to enter Britain.
Unaccompanied minors in France were told by authorities that Britain’s Home Office had failed to come forward with promised assistance.
At the end of this month the deadline to enter Britain legally under the EU’s family reunification rules will expire.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson previously told parliament that he was “absolutely committed to ensuring that this country will continue to receive unaccompanied children”.
Children’s charities were also informed that the Home Office would help to reunite families if their case began before the Brexit transition period ended.
Sources told The Observer newspaper, however, that "no proper arrangements" were put in place for transfers under a special EU family reunification agreement.
“Unaccompanied child refugees in Europe have been left with nothing more than broken promises and fading hopes of reuniting with family in the UK,” said Beth Gardiner-Smith, of the charity Safe Passage International, which assists in getting children to their parents.
“It is devastating that children desperate to reunite with their family have been turned away because of government inaction and a failure in international co-operation.”
The charity said there were 16 unaccompanied children from Afghanistan who are seeking to join family in Britain but will be refused unless the situation changes.
French immigration officials are said to have told youths that they could no longer apply to be with their families in Britain.
The situation will mean that youths in refugee camps in Greece might have to undertake illegal immigration trips that could involve crossing the English Channel in small boats or travelling in lorries.
Safe Passage called on the Home Office to take swift action to help reunite the children with their parents in Britain.
A Home Office representative denied it had reneged on the promise and said: “We are committed to continuing to process all family reunion cases that entered the system before the end of the transition period.
"All EU member states can continue to make requests to the UK on the basis of family reunion and we will continue to assess and process these requests.”
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
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Profile Idealz
Company: Idealz
Founded: January 2018
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Size: (employees): 22
Investors: Co-founders and Venture Partners (9 per cent)
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
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- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
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MATCH INFO
Maratha Arabians 107-8 (10 ovs)
Lyth 21, Lynn 20, McClenaghan 20 no
Qalandars 60-4 (10 ovs)
Malan 32 no, McClenaghan 2-9
Maratha Arabians win by 47 runs
Tomorrow 2021
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FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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The%20Roundup%20%3A%20No%20Way%20Out
Read more
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
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How to tell if your child is being bullied at school
Sudden change in behaviour or displays higher levels of stress or anxiety
Shows signs of depression or isolation
Ability to sleep well diminishes
Academic performance begins to deteriorate
Changes in eating habits
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Refuses to go to school
Behaviour changes and is aggressive towards siblings
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Plastic tipping points
Specs
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Martin Sabbagh profile
Job: CEO JCDecaux Middle East
In the role: Since January 2015
Lives: In the UAE
Background: M&A, investment banking
Studied: Corporate finance
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- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
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Neighbourhood Watch
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
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There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
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How Voiss turns words to speech
The device has a screen reader or software that monitors what happens on the screen
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- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
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Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
Six pitfalls to avoid when trading company stocks
Following fashion
Investing is cyclical, buying last year's winners often means holding this year's losers.
Losing your balance
You end up with too much exposure to an individual company or sector that has taken your fancy.
Being over active
If you chop and change your portfolio too often, dealing charges will eat up your gains.
Running your losers
Investors hate admitting mistakes and hold onto bad stocks hoping they will come good.
Selling in a panic
If you sell up when the market drops, you have locked yourself out of the recovery.
Timing the market
Even the best investor in the world cannot consistently call market movements.
