Government efforts to resettle unaccompanied child migrants from Calais to Britain have been branded a "disgrace" as ministers were accused of introducing arbitrary age guidelines.

Responding to an urgent question in the Commons Robert Goodwill, the Home Office minister, said 300 children – including 19 girls at the weekend – had been relocated in Britain since French authorities began dismantling the so-called Jungle in Calais in October.

It is expected that “several hundred” further children will be granted refugee status in the UK in the coming weeks.

But on Monday the Government introduced guidelines that seriously restrict which children will qualify for a scheme to be brought to the UK initiated under the Dubs Amendment.

Carolyn Harris, the shadow Home Office minister, branded the qualifying criteria a “disgrace”, adding: “It is certainly not in the spirit of the Dubs Amendment. On the basis of this criteria it seems that any child subject to a medium or moderate sexual exploitation is on their own. A child is a child until the age of 18."

Raising the issue in an urgent question in the Commons, the Liberal Democrat’s former minister Tom Brake said: "The chaotic demolition of the Calais camp, which abandoned some children on the streets, leaves upwards of a thousand children in basic and temporary care facilities in France.

"In the days running up to the demolition the Home Secretary made statements which pointed to the UK offering a home for up to half the children in the camp. It is not clear how this is going to be achieved given the criteria published in the guidance documents."

The urgent question came in response to the Government implementing Section 67 of the Immigration Act in France, which outlined the Home Office’s eligibility criteria on transferring unaccompanied children who had been resident in the migrant camp in Calais on or before October 24.

To be considered eligible a child in Calais has to meet one of the Government’s criteria, which includes being under the age of 12, are at a high risk of sexual exploitation or are aged 15 or under and are of Sudanese or Syrian nationality.

Mr Brake questioned why the Government has excluded children from war-torn Eritrea and those aged 16 and 17-years-old who had been living in Calais.

He said: "This House agreed an amendment known as the Dubs Amendment, our Government must now set out how it is going to honour the letter and spirit of that amendment."

Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis Show all 7 1 /7 Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis The Solidarity With Refugees group said Saturday’s protest aimed to “show our Government and the world that Britain is ready to welcome more refugees”. Rex Features Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis People march through central London as they take part in a protest rally organised by Solidarity with Refugees in a bid to urge the Government to take more action on the migrant crisis Press Association Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis The protest comes days before world leaders meet to discuss crisis at UN General Assembly Press Association Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis Demonstrators made their way from Park Lane to Parliament Square in London on Saturday afternoon Press Association Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis Marchers chanted “refugees are welcome here” and waved banners reading “no-one is illegal” and “let’s help people” Press Association Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis The march was supported by charities and groups including the Red Cross, Asylum Aid, Save the Children, Hope Not Hate, Oxfam and the UN Refugee Agency Rex Features Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis In the wake of Alan’s death, David Cameron pledged to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees in the UK over the coming five years but there have been additional calls to re-home those who have already reached Europe, as well as asylum seekers coming from other conflict zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan Rex Features

Mr Goodwill conceded there had been "chaotic scenes" as the Calais camp was cleared. But he insisted the Government has an "absolute commitment" to bring eligible children from France to the UK. He said: "We remain absolutely committed to bringing all eligible children to the UK as soon as possible.

"More than 300 children have been transferred from France since October 10, including resuming transfers over the weekend when another 19 girls assessed as being at high risk of sexual exploitation were brought to Scotland."

Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis Show all 7 1 /7 Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis The Solidarity With Refugees group said Saturday’s protest aimed to “show our Government and the world that Britain is ready to welcome more refugees”. Rex Features Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis People march through central London as they take part in a protest rally organised by Solidarity with Refugees in a bid to urge the Government to take more action on the migrant crisis Press Association Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis The protest comes days before world leaders meet to discuss crisis at UN General Assembly Press Association Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis Demonstrators made their way from Park Lane to Parliament Square in London on Saturday afternoon Press Association Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis Marchers chanted “refugees are welcome here” and waved banners reading “no-one is illegal” and “let’s help people” Press Association Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis The march was supported by charities and groups including the Red Cross, Asylum Aid, Save the Children, Hope Not Hate, Oxfam and the UN Refugee Agency Rex Features Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis In the wake of Alan’s death, David Cameron pledged to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees in the UK over the coming five years but there have been additional calls to re-home those who have already reached Europe, as well as asylum seekers coming from other conflict zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan Rex Features

Bishop Peter Hill, a spokesman for Citizens UK which has campaigned and helped bring over a number of children from the camp, said: "We are concerned that the Government's decision to only take children from Syria and Sudan from Calais is a mistaken application of their intent to ensure that only children from refugee-producing countries are admitted to the UK.

"It is clear that Eritrean minors, for example, should be assessed as hailing from a 'refugee producing country'.