Detention of children
Response to the UKBA Review into ending the detention of children for immigration purposes [July 2010]
On 12th May 2010, the Coalition Government announced its intention to bring to an end the practice of detaining children for immigration purposes. On 10th June 2010 a short Consultation exercise was announced to identify how this might be achieved whilst maintaining UKBA’s priority of effective immigration control. The Terms of Reference are available on the UKBA website.
The Refugee Council welcomes the announcement to end the detention of children for immigration purposes. Detention is demonstrably harming children and therefore we believe that this commitment must be implemented immediately, and must not be conditional on establishing alternative approaches to the asylum and immigration process, returns or removals.
We believe that there is a wider programme of reform necessary to improve the ways in which the immigration and asylum systems treat families, though such reforms will take time and should not be allowed to delay ending detention of families. We are keen to participate in this programme of wider reform, and believe that the upcoming asylum review will provide a good opportunity for addressing some of these issues in a holistic way.
