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'We will get there': Child who fled two wars trying night after night to make it to Britain

There are many desperate camps scattered around northern France.

They are full of people looking for a better life and the UK to provide it.

Families set up tents in their backyards. However, the usual food vans operated by charities were not available at the Grande Synthe camp near Dunkirk because many are fasting for Ramadan.



Johnson acknowledges the legal problems likely to Rwanda’s migrant plan. Live updates

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Priti Paltel outlines details of a “migration partnership” with Rwanda

Shafi Ullah (17 years old) fled Afghanistan with two of his cousins and a group friends in August.

Shafi is keen to travel to the UK. He was unable to reach the UK shores on Wednesday night, but he promises a second attempt tonight.

The camps had not yet received the news about the plan of the prime minister to redirect people like Shafi towards Rwanda. Many were upset when we announced the news to them but they were not discouraged.

Learn more about the Migrant Crisis

Their reaction when we revealed what Boris Johnson was about announce was complete confusion.

Shafi and his friends fled Afghanistan, crossed borders with Turkey and Iran to reach Ukraine where they were granted visas.

They decided to leave Ukraine after Russia invaded Ukraine in Feb.

They fled two wars in six months and were mugged and beaten along the way. They have traveled through Poland, Germany, and France. They are now in Dunkirk, desperately trying to reach the UK.

Image An old car is used as a landmark at Dunkirk’s Grande Synthe camp



The first glimpse of the Rwanda center that will host Channel migrants

They couldn’t comprehend how after fleeing persecution or war at home, and making it thousands of miles, they could be extradited to Rwanda or taken there.

They would be forced to travel to a country they don’t want. They don’t know anything about it. They couldn’t even place it on a map.

They claimed it was cruelly unfair. It felt unfair that Ukrainians were treated differently than Afghans and Syrians fleeing war, persecution, or conflict in order to reach the UK.

They are not keen to remain in France. Although they don’t speak French well, all spoke English fluently and were clearly young men with a desire to work and study in the UK.

We asked them whether they would be deterred by seeing people sent from the UK to Rwanda.

They said, “No, there’s no other option.” We have made it this far. We can only go one direction now, and that is the UK. So we will continue trying and we will get there.”

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