This document is the response of Refugee Council, Migrant Helpline, Welsh Refugee Council and Refugee Action to the Home Office consultation paper ‘Planning Better Outcomes and Support for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children.’
The response is critical of the assumptions underlying the proposals; that children seeking asylum may be supported differently from other vulnerable children because most of them are not in need of international protection and are only likely to stay in the UK whilst they are under 18.
The agencies express disappointment that the opportunity was not taken to radically overhaul the asylum system for children and ensure that each unaccompanied child is allocated a guardian to ensure that all agencies respond appropriately to the protection and care needs of unaccompanied children.
Published in May 2007
Response of the Refugee Children's Consortium
The Refugee Children’s Consortium (RCC) is a group of NGOs working collaboratively to ensure that the rights and needs of refugee children are promoted, respected and met in accordance with the relevant domestic, regional and international standards.
The response draws on the experience of agencies specialising in work with refugees and children and states that the proposals do not adhere to domestic and international standards of child protection and welfare. It is critical of the attention paid in the consultation paper to deterrence and removal rather than the safeguarding of vulnerable children and expresses the view that the attention of Government departments would be better focused on ensuring that the law, policy and guidance relating to these children is adhered to.
Published May 2007
