Amber Rudd under pressure to declare how many children will be brought to the UK from the Calais Jungle camp
Lib Dems say Britain has a moral responsibility to ensure the vulnerable children are safe before the camp clearance starts
HOME Secretary Amber Rudd is under pressure to say how many unaccompanied children Britain will take from the Calais Jungle camp.
Her statement to the House of Commons this afternoon comes after Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron called on her to make clear how many children will be coming here.
The Home Secretary says our priority is to keep Britain's borders secure and she said closing the Jungle camp at Calais will help secure the future of the Le Touquet agreement - which allows British officials to check passports in France and vice versa.
French authorities began clearing the sprawling migrant camp today and Ms Rudd said there are staff on the ground to ensure all children are moved to a place of safety.
She said: "Clearing the camp isn't just about our legal and moral obligations.
"It is also in our national interest.
"The rise in the number of people have led some in France to question the Le Touquet agreement.
"By clearing the camp, we can help secure the future of the juxtaposed controls as well as playing our part to help those most in need in Calais."
Since her statement on October 10 they have transferred more than 200 children to the UK - including approximately 60 girls.
Her officials have interviewed 800 youths in the last seven days in sometimes difficult and challenging conditions.
Those children have said they have links to close family in the UK.
The priority is children under 12 and those who are likely to be granted refugee status here.
She added the French authorities face a huge challenge over the coming days but neither the French nor the British government will let people live in those conditions.
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The Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott started her response to the statement by criticising the amount of time it took the government to go into the camp.
She said: "The Home Office has known for months that the camp was going to be closed.
"More should have been done."
And she said the conditions in the camp have been appalling.
In response, Ms Rudd said: "I do not need reminding about the scale of misery that's going on in that camp."
She added the Jungle needs to be permanently closed to stop people from being attracted to the Calais area and trying to get to this country.
Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott says she is glad Britain is getting involved and helping the refugees
Stella Creasy said she had details of 49 children under the age of 13 who today could not register at the warehouse to be processed before the Jungle camp is closed.
And she wanted assurances the children would not be placed in a detention centre when they arrive here.
Ms Rudd replied: "We wanted to get the youngest children out, we want to get the most vulnerable out.
"There is nothing but goodwill on this side to achieve that."
Before the statement in the House of Commons, Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said: "It is unbelievable that the day before demolition is due to take place, our Government still can't tell us how many children we will take and when they will arrive.
"The Home Secretary must clarify this in her statement to Parliament today and take this opportunity to rebuild Britain's reputation as a compassionate and caring country.
"The UK Government has a moral responsibility to ensure that all vulnerable children are either transferred to the UK or moved to places of safety before camp clearance starts."