Parishioners from a local Catholic church turned out in force to welcome child migrants in south London

The women who waved banners and shouted words of encouragement to the busloads of children arriving in south London were migrants welcoming migrants, mothers welcoming children. “Coming from Uganda, I know that pain of being away from my home,” said Assumpta Mouwonge. “I am a mother myself, I was really feeling it from my heart.”

She was one of the many parishioners from St Mary’s Catholic Church, West Croydon, who volunteered to welcome child migrants as they arrived from Calais at the Home Office’s asylum screening centre, Lunar House, last week. In addition to Uganda, the eight volunteers I met came from Ghana, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, India and Eastern Europe, although all were British citizens. They stood in the street, often for four hours at a time, waiting to greet children arriving from the “Jungle” refugee camp, following its closure and demolition last week by the French authorities.