The first groups of unaccompanied children without links to Britain have arrived in the UK from the Calais camp known as the "jungle".

The refugees were among the latest wave of young arrivals to cross the Channel under the provisions of the Dubs amendment.

It followed a change to the Immigration Act which meant Britain has to accept some of the "most vulnerable" unaccompanied child refugees who do not necessarily have ties to the UK.

Previously all the young refugees who have arrived in Britain have been brought in under the Dublin regulations, which require the children to have family resident in the UK.

Around 200 minors have arrived in the UK from Calais since last Monday, according the charity Citizens UK, with 20 girls arriving today (Sunday).


Calais 'jungle' kids arrive in the UK

Speaking about the new arrivals, Bishop Jonathan Clark, spokesman for Citizens UK, said: "It's great to see government acting on what Citizens UK have been calling for and transferring these children to Britain."

But he added: "Of course this is just a very small proportion of the unaccompanied children out there and less than 1% of the total number of people in the Calais camp now, the vast majority of whom will be claiming asylum in France as they should."

Some of the first wave of arrivals earlier this week provoked speculation over their ages amid suggestions some appeared to look much older than teenagers.

Two-thirds of 'Child refugees' entering the UK are adults

The Sunday Telegraph reports that the Home Office rejected an offer of expert help to establish the ages of refugees seeking to come to the UK from the "jungle".

It said specialist social workers were offered to the Home Office in August but the Local Government Association said officials did not take up the offer and only started asking for specialist help on Friday.

A Home Office source insisted the support had not been needed when it was offered in August.

Image: Police clashing with migrants at the 'jungle' camp on Friday night

One 14-year-old Afghan, who was finally able to join the brother he has not seen for 10 years, told reporters today that he was happy the camp was due to be demolished.

Aemal Khan, who was last week brought to Britain to join Asif, 25, after spending five months in the camp, said: "I was

angry, I only had to cross 45 minutes of sea and on the other side there was my brother.

I was lucky... There are many people who try to come over to the UK who are trying to jump on the cars and they are going to die there, most of the people there go mental."

Demolition teams are preparing to move into the "jungle" on Monday to clear the estimated 6,500 inhabitants who will be relocated to reception centres across France.

Image: Asif Khan (L) has been reunited with Aemal, 14, after he was brought to the UK from Calais

Citizens UK said as many as 1,000 children are still in the Calais camp.

British members of anti-capitalist protest group No Borders are heading to Calais in an attempt to block the demolition of the camp, The Sunday Times said.

At a meeting in south-east London last Sunday, one activist told the paper that "lots of us will be going down" and warned people should not join them unless they "understood the risks".