With Halloween approaching, children across Northern Ireland will prepare to dawn their scariest masks and costumes to create horror scenes, wrap doors and sing for sweets.

Yet, some 1000km away, in the Port of Calais refugee children have been living their own tangible horror story for some time. Their eyes have been fully uncovered to horrors of war. These children of ‘the jungle’ have been left to sing for their supper when aid agencies have run dry.

They have been used not to the bangs of fireworks but of barrel bombs, drone attacks and chemical weapons used by all sides of the conflict.

Many are unaccompanied and have become orphans upon leaving their home land; the most unbearable thought is of the thousands who never made it as far as Calais, disappearing along the journey.

Reports of conditions and scenes of the camp pose uncomfortable questions about the ability of the West to provide safe refuge. In this respect, many will be glad to see the Camps’ dismantlement earlier in the week.

On the flipside, thousands have now settled at the edge of the demolished camp, awaiting news.

By the end of December 2015, 100 refugees began to arrive in Northern Ireland; they haven’t stolen all the jobs, taken all the benefits; the river Tiber has not foamed with blood.

Rather they were settled under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme and the Department of Communities has reported their arrival and transition into Northern Irish life as a positive and welcoming journey.

There have been numerous good news stories, such as one eleven-year-old boy arriving from Aleppo and helping his GAA club return to their winning days, exceling in his new sport.

Often dubbed the most hospitable and friendly people in the world, it seems Northern Ireland would be the perfect candidate to continue homing displaced refugees.

The Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme does not include those who arrived in EU countries (camp Calais Inc.), but it does state that if a person’s ‘life, liberty, safety, health, or other fundamental human rights are at risk in the country they have sought refuge’, they are eligible.

Here lies not just an opportunity for but responsibility of our government to ensure they do all they can to help the displaced children at Calais. History is not kind to those of us that look back and say ‘we could have done more’. Northern Ireland must live up to its reputation and continue to do more.