Why did French/British authorities delay transferring vulnerable children to the UK?

Question

Accepted Answer

French and British authorities did not give a stated reason for delaying the transfer of vulnerable children to the UK.

The available details do not identify any official explanation for why the transfer had not already happened before this week’s demolition and disruption. What is clear is that there were 1,300 unaccompanied and vulnerable children in the camp, some as young as eight, and that 100 youngsters had already gone missing during the earlier partial dismantlement.
The concern centred on 1,300 children and 100 missing youngsters

The immediate worry was the safety of the children left in the camp. The figure of 1,300 unaccompanied and vulnerable children included boys and girls as young as eight, and the earlier partial dismantlement of the Jungle had already been followed by 100 youngsters going missing.

That combination made the delay especially alarming in the context of trafficking risks. The camp was being torn apart by armed police this week, with up to 10,000 refugees and migrants being moved on buses to reception areas across France.
The question was framed around the Dubs Amendment

The issue raised was why the children had not already been moved to the UK under the Dubs Amendment. The concern was specifically about transferring them before the demolition and the chaos that followed this week’s operation.

No explanation is given for any delay in applying that process. There is no stated account from the French or British authorities on why the transfers had not been completed earlier.
The camp had already been partially dismantled earlier in the year

The timeline matters because this week’s action was not the first disruption at Calais. The camp had been partly dismantled earlier this year, and that earlier operation was the moment when the 100 missing youngsters were reported.

This means the concern was not only about the current demolition, but also about what had already happened during the previous phase of clearance. The question is therefore tied to both the earlier partial dismantlement and the current eviction drive.
The transfer delay was not explained in the available material

No administrative, legal, or procedural reason is set out for the delay. There is no mention of a court dispute, a formal list process, or a stated cross-border coordination problem in the available details.

What is stated is simply the absence of an earlier transfer, despite the presence of vulnerable children and the known risk of disappearance.

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Why did French/British authorities delay transferring vulnerable children to the UK?

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