ADVOCACY & RESEARCH
As the only independent organisation working with children aged 0-18 on the UK-France border, we are uniquely placed to observe, document and act on the childrens rights violations we witness.
“[The police] bring out the knives and pepper spray then guns. I was like… I’m only a child. Why are you doing this?... we want to be safe and that’s it.”
- Miel*, 15, and Y*, 13, from Iraqi Kurdistan, who attended Project Play sessions in 2024
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Our extensive new report reveals devastating violence against children on the border, and record child fatalities in 2024.
Centring the voices of children throughout, this report aims to platform experiences often overlooked and ignored. It finds:
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15 children were killed on the UK-France border in 2024, yet no official data was published of their deaths.
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Children experienced physical and psychological harm as a result of police violence, enacted by France and funded by the UK, during actions in living sites and during crossing attempts.
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Many children showed signs of trauma as a result of police intimidation and aggression, alongside repeated failed crossing attempts.