CHILD refugees in northern France seeking to be reunited with loved ones in Britain are being “turned away” despite Home Office promises to offer help, a charity has alleged. 

At least two families have been told by French officials that they cannot apply for family reunification despite European Union law allowing this, Safe Passage reported. 

The charity, which supports child refugees in Europe, said that “government inaction” and “Brexit chaos” has resulted in ministers failing to live up to their commitment to continue reuniting families into the new year. 

Child refugees’ automatic right to be reunited with family members in Britain will cease when the Brexit transition period ends on December 31. 

The government has previously pledged to consider applications for family reunion made before the deadline and to continue next year in cases where families had filed applications before December 31. 

However, Safe Passage said that it is “clear that the UK government has not made the proper arrangements” to fulfil this pledge. 

Chief executive Beth Gardiner-Smith said: “It is unacceptable that child refugees in Europe have been turned away because of Brexit chaos and government inaction. 

“Unaccompanied child refugees must not be left stranded in Europe, without hope of reuniting with family in the UK. This situation is urgent, but there’s still time for the government to do what’s needed and put this right.”

Without safe and legal routes, children risk being pushed into attempting dangerous journeys to Britain instead, the charity warned. 

Among the children affected is the younger brother of an Afghan man who received refugee status in this country after serving as an interpreter for the British military in Afghanistan. In another case, a 12-year-old Congolese girl is seeking to join her mother in Britain.

Safe Passage said that it knows of 20 more unaccompanied children and five families who are eligible for the scheme but will be refused unless the government makes urgent changes. 

The Home Office dismissed the charity’s claims as “completely inaccurate.” 

A spokesperson said: “We are committed to continuing to process all family reunion cases, under the Dublin regulation, 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.”