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Hundreds of child asylum seekers in France who wanted to start a new life in the UK have had their applications turned down by the Home Office. The children and teenagers had been holed up in the squalid Calais jungle until October when the camp was shut down. But the Home Office rejected their applications for a life in Britain and encouraged them to seek asylum in France instead - as many now live in French reception centres. The Home Office has confirmed that the transfer of children from the Calais camp and others in French reception centres has now ended.

GETTY Migrants denied asylum by the Home Office pledge to enter Britain illegally

Getty The Home Office has encouraged the migrants to seek asylum in France instead of the UK

However, a busload of child asylum seekers were brought from France to the UK last Friday. Figures from the Home Office show that 750 children have already been brought to the UK, but 1,900 were registered when the Calais jungle was closed. Yet, while the Home Office intends to stand firm in its decision to reject the child refugees, one of the boys who had set his sights on the UK said a large number of the boys may still try to get to Britain - even if they have to do it illegally.

Getty While these children were turned away from England’s borders, other children may still be allowed

Taher, a 15-year-old from Eritrea told The Guardian: “Some [of the boys] will try to get to the UK on a lorry from Belgium. I think I will go back to Calais and try to get to England that way.” The teenager described how the boys thought it was very unfair that the Home Office had rejected their claims for asylum. He said that some of the boys, as young as 14, were planning to run away from the reception centres. He added that many did not want to seek asylum in France as they were most keen to live in Britain.

Getty The UK is encouraging asylum seekers to do things legally

Toufique Hossain, a UK-based lawyer for Duncan Lewis Solicitors, represents some of the boys. He confirmed that the children had told him that they were devastated by the UK's decision. But he has encouraged them not to run away. While these children were turned away from England’s borders, other children with family members in the UK may still be eligible to come into the country under rules known as the Dublin regulation. Under this amendment to the Immigration Act proposed by the Labour peer Alf Dubs, some vulnerable children without family members in the UK will also be eligible to come to the UK. The Home office also admitted that a handful of children located in Italy and Greece were currently undergoing screening which could eventually lead them to be granted asylum in the UK.

Getty The children and teens had been holed up in the squalid Calais jungle until October