Who are we?

Kindred is a volunteer organisation pooling our skills to improve the lives of everyone through action.

Our volunteers come from many different walks of life. Our first goal is to help children in Northern France unite with families in the UK and transform the way the UK and other countries treat those who are seeking safety from violence and armed conflict.

As with all Crowdjustice cases, once the target is met, the donation you have pledged is paid over to the solicitor firm involved, which in this case is Leigh Day, a leading human rights firm in London.

Background to the cases

The Dunkirk Project

The purpose of this fundraising drive is to raise funds to assist child refugees in Northern France who want to be reunited with family members in the UK under the Dublin III Regulations. Broadly speaking, the Dublin III Regulation says that if a child claims asylum in a European country, that claim should be considered by the country where he or she has family.

These young people have a legal right to join their families and claim asylum. We are seeking to ensure they can exercise that right.

The children we are assisting have undertaken dangerous and arduous journeys to get to Europe. Even in Europe they say they were detained, electrocuted and attacked by police dogs. Yet despite enduring such hardship their ordeals are still not over as the Home Office has denied they are related to their families in the UK and has refused their request for transfer. As a result the children have now been in France for over a year and without any family to support them. They are stuck in limbo and are lonely and desperate to be reunited with their families.  

Why do we need your help?

The welfare and future of these children depends on whether they can prove their legal entitlement. This requires legal help and evidence. We are trying to collate the necessary evidence and make the case for these children to be reunited with their families in the UK.

Lawyers, as well as psychologists and social workers,  have so far acted pro bono (without pay). Funding is now needed to investigate further and make strong cases.

The aim at this stage to raise enough to cover three cases, though the minimum target will allow us to progress with two.

We cannot raise these funds without your help. Your donations will be for matters such as:

• Interpreters
• Gathering documentary evidence to prove family connections;
• Obtaining reports from experts as to the children’s best interests
• Travel costs for experts, lawyers and in some cases family members to get to France and back;
• Limited legal costs;

For more information please visit the Kindred Community website here.