Two parents separated from their children while attempting to cross the Channel by small boat have urged the Home Office to allow them to reunite in the UK after two months apart.
The children, aged five and nine, are in foster care in Britain; their parents are in France.
The Kurdish family became separated on the morning of 19 July after an assault in which a group of people rushed towards the boat, attacking passengers with knives and sticks. The mother of the family was pulled by the strap of her bag with such force that she fell into the water. Despite being unable to swim, her husband jumped into the sea in an attempt to rescue her, at which point the small boat set off across the Channel.
“My eldest son’s last words to me were: ‘Please Mum, please don’t die, please don’t drown,’” the mother of the family said. “We screamed when the boat left, and shouted until the boat disappeared into the distance. It is impossible to describe this feeling. There is nothing worse than being separated from your children. All we want is to be together again.”
After the boat departed, the parents were taken to Calais police station, where they were told by officers to pray for their young children as the journey would be difficult. The French authorities then made contact with HM Coastguard. Later that night, they were informed that their children had arrived safely in the UK, but no further information was given at that time.
The children, who believed their parents had drowned until the family spoke on a video call two weeks later, have been traumatised by the separation. They have become increasingly withdrawn and their communication is worsening.
“My oldest child refuses to speak to us,” their mother said. “My youngest is having nightmares and is wetting and soiling himself throughout the day and at night. We’re really worried about the long-term impact this will have on both of them.”
The youngest child is due to begin school for the first time. His parents are asking the Home Office to reunite them to support him with this transition.
An urgent entry clearance application was submitted to the Home Office by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) on 26 August with a request for expedition, along with a pre-action protocol letter. The Home Office responded to the letter on 10 September agreeing to expedite their application. The charity then contacted the Home Office refugee family reunion team, but have yet to receive a response.
The family, who are from Turkey, fled due to persecution on account of their Kurdish ethnicity. Their house was raided on multiple occasions. As threats intensified, the family decided to escape.
“This is really overpowering us,” the mother of the family said. “My son’s birthday is soon and we have never been apart for it. We just want to be with them. All we would ask from the Home Office is to be united again.”
The Home Office has been approached for comment.