King Charles Urged to Seek Formal Canadian Apology for British Home Children Abuse

Report by Safarti Tarjuman International Desk

During his ongoing visit to Canada, King Charles III is being urged by campaigners to seek a formal apology from the Canadian government for the mistreatment of more than 100,000 British Home Children who were relocated from the UK between 1869 and 1948.

These children, many of whom came from orphanages and impoverished families, were sent under a government-backed migration scheme that placed them into Canadian homes as cheap labour, often as farmhands and domestic servants.

Numerous reports over the years have revealed that a significant number of these children suffered physical, emotional, and psychological abuse. Campaigner John Jefkins, whose father Bert was among those sent to Canada in 1914, said the royal visit presents a powerful opportunity to acknowledge this painful chapter in Commonwealth history.

Jefkins stressed the importance of recognition and healing for both the survivors and their descendants. While the UK and Australia have issued formal apologies for their roles in similar child migration schemes, Canada has yet to do so.

A government spokesperson acknowledged the injustice of the policy, expressing regret but falling short of an official apology. Queen Camilla, who has been Patron of Barnardo’s since 2016—a charity involved in sending children to Canada—also has a direct link to this historic issue.

As King Charles prepares to deliver the Speech from the Throne during Canada’s 45th Parliament session, campaigners hope his leadership will bring renewed attention and moral clarity to the unresolved legacy of the British Home Children.