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<p>The French NGO France Terre d’Asile (FTDA) has carried out a survey of children
in the camps in the Calais area, which identified, within the scope of the survey,
43 children with claimed family links to the UK. We are working closely with the French
Government and FTDA to ensure that where family links are established, transfers take
place efficiently under the Dublin Regulation.</p><p>The transfer of cases deemed
the responsibility of the UK on the basis of family unity provisions contained in
the Dublin Regulation can take place relatively quickly and we have resources in place
to facilitate this. An individual must first, however, claim asylum in France or another
European state participating in the Regulation for the process to begin.</p><p>Under
the UK-France Joint Declaration of 20 August 2015, the UK and France have committed
to ensuring that the provisions of the Dublin III Regulation are used efficiently
and effectively. To assist the handling of such cases, the two Governments have established
a permanent official contact group, agreed single points of contact within respective
Dublin Units and we seconded an asylum expert to the French administration to facilitate
the improvement of all stages of the process.</p><p>The UK and France are running
regular joint communication campaigns in northern France which inform unaccompanied
children and others of their right to claim asylum in France and of the family reunion
process.</p>
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