Lone children held at UK-run detention centres in France 284 times last year
Summary
Nearly 300 unaccompanied children were held in UK-run detention centres in France last year, according to government data. Refugee groups and inspectors have raised concerns about poor conditions and the safety of these children in short-term holding facilities near Calais and Dunkirk.Key Facts
- About 284 unaccompanied children were detained in UK-run centres in France in 2025, a 10% increase from 2024.
- Since 2022, there have been nearly 900 cases of minors detained at sites near Calais and Dunkirk.
- The facilities are UK government-run and intended for holding people for less than 24 hours, mostly those travelling without proper papers.
- Inspectors found poor conditions and safeguarding issues, including two vulnerable children who were lost from the system and later trafficked.
- Refugee charities say detaining children in these centres is harmful and call for better protection measures.
- The total number of people detained at these sites in 2025 was 7,454, down from 9,736 in 2024.
- A new UK-funded detention centre in Dunkirk is facing a legal challenge in France.
- UK officials do not include data from these French detention centres in the country’s official immigration statistics.
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