The UK's asylum system has been branded "disgraceful" by Migration Watch UK Chairman Alp Mehmet after the parents of two migrant children who crossed the Channel alone attempted to claim asylum in Britain.
A family of Kurdish Turks were separated after travelling to Calais to board a small boat, where the two children aged six and nine remained on the dinghy to the UK.
However, after an attempt by the parents to be reunited with their children in Britain, a judge has ruled that the children will be taken back to France.
Court documents warned that the "real risk" is "allowing parents to enter the UK because their children arrived in the UK unaccompanied on a small boat will lead to more children being placed on small boats, unaccompanied".
Hitting out at the case, Migrant Watch UK chief Alp Mehmet said unaccompanied migrant children are a "huge cost" to the British system, and there are more than 7,000 of them being looked after by authorities.
Mehmet told GB News: "There was local authority saying only today that it's costing them so much that they're going to overspend by £4.2million. In the majority of cases it's mid teens, late teens - a lot of them, frankly, we probably doubt that they are the age that they say they are.
"Nevertheless, the benefit of the doubt is always given. Local authorities look after them. Not only do they look after them now while they're still ostensibly under 18, but once they go beyond that, they end up at university or higher education, the local authority continues to pay for them."
Mehmet questioned why the French "don't take people like this back", claiming that the current state of the migrant crisis is "disgraceful".
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Criticising the efforts of the French to deter migrants from crossing the Channel to Britain, Mehmet said: "Frankly, we shouldn't give the opportunity to the French or anyone else to offload their problems on us, which is what's been happening for years and years now."
Noting the recent case of the two children who crossed alone, Mehmet added: "Absolutely right that the parents are now in France, they're going to be looked after and they want their children back.
"The judge, in his wisdom for once, said hold on a moment, let's see this through."
In a stark warning, Mehmet cautioned that the case may spark similar incidents of parents sending their children across the Channel unaccompanied, in a bid to enter the UK.
Mehmet concluded: "This goes on because it's a way of getting to this country, and I'm afraid it will continue to go on. Over Saturday and Sunday, there were over 600 people who came here. Essentially, they're waiting to come over, but we're talking about nine and a six year old now.
"I'm very happy for those little ones to be back with their parents, but generally we're really mugs, because we accept anyone who says 'I'm 17 and a half' - we say we'll give you the benefit of the doubt, here you come."
He added: "The bill that's going through Parliament now, frankly, is so weak, it's so toothless that it's going to encourage this sort of thing rather than discourage it.
"There's no deterrent, as far as I can see - what there was has been removed."
Find Out More...
A family of Kurdish Turks were separated after travelling to Calais to board a small boat, where the two children aged six and nine remained on the dinghy to the UK.
However, after an attempt by the parents to be reunited with their children in Britain, a judge has ruled that the children will be taken back to France.
Court documents warned that the "real risk" is "allowing parents to enter the UK because their children arrived in the UK unaccompanied on a small boat will lead to more children being placed on small boats, unaccompanied".
Hitting out at the case, Migrant Watch UK chief Alp Mehmet said unaccompanied migrant children are a "huge cost" to the British system, and there are more than 7,000 of them being looked after by authorities.
Mehmet told GB News: "There was local authority saying only today that it's costing them so much that they're going to overspend by £4.2million. In the majority of cases it's mid teens, late teens - a lot of them, frankly, we probably doubt that they are the age that they say they are.
"Nevertheless, the benefit of the doubt is always given. Local authorities look after them. Not only do they look after them now while they're still ostensibly under 18, but once they go beyond that, they end up at university or higher education, the local authority continues to pay for them."
Mehmet questioned why the French "don't take people like this back", claiming that the current state of the migrant crisis is "disgraceful".
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
- Nigerian robber spared deportation because he would be considered 'possessed' in home country
- Carole Malone blasts ‘INVASION’ of Britain as French cops watch on ‘having a fag and doing nothing’
- More than 500 migrants cross the Channel today in biggest single day of arrivals so far this year
Criticising the efforts of the French to deter migrants from crossing the Channel to Britain, Mehmet said: "Frankly, we shouldn't give the opportunity to the French or anyone else to offload their problems on us, which is what's been happening for years and years now."
Noting the recent case of the two children who crossed alone, Mehmet added: "Absolutely right that the parents are now in France, they're going to be looked after and they want their children back.
"The judge, in his wisdom for once, said hold on a moment, let's see this through."
In a stark warning, Mehmet cautioned that the case may spark similar incidents of parents sending their children across the Channel unaccompanied, in a bid to enter the UK.
Mehmet concluded: "This goes on because it's a way of getting to this country, and I'm afraid it will continue to go on. Over Saturday and Sunday, there were over 600 people who came here. Essentially, they're waiting to come over, but we're talking about nine and a six year old now.
"I'm very happy for those little ones to be back with their parents, but generally we're really mugs, because we accept anyone who says 'I'm 17 and a half' - we say we'll give you the benefit of the doubt, here you come."
He added: "The bill that's going through Parliament now, frankly, is so weak, it's so toothless that it's going to encourage this sort of thing rather than discourage it.
"There's no deterrent, as far as I can see - what there was has been removed."
Find Out More...