The Ending of Child Detention for Immigration purposes.

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Yesterday – Nick Clegg announced the ending of child detention for immigration purposes.

No child will ever be locked up in Yarl’s Wood again. No child is currently detained, and no child will spend this Christmas in an immigration detention centre. In an open letter to Gordon Brown in 2009, Nick Clegg wrote: “One of the best ways to judge the moral compass of a nation is how we treat children … How on earth can your government justify what is in effect state-sponsored cruelty?”

I am very proud that this government has ended this disgraceful practise.

Along with the ending of child detention for immigration purposes, the government has also announced the reform of our immigration system to make it more family friendly – creating a system that is humane, fair and effective. From March 2011 specially appointed family case workers will now work with families throughout the decision making process.

Once a family’s appeals have been exhausted they will be offered the following return options, in descending order: family conferences to discuss their return home, welfare and medical concerns; assisted return to help the family feel supported throughout their departure, with reintegration assistance to help them resettle upon their return; required returns for families who fail to take up the assisted return through the AVR programme, allowing them to remain in the community, but giving two weeks notice to board their flight home; and finally ensured return, as a last resort, if they fail to depart the UK.

This new process is one which operates end-to-end through the immigration system – a radical improvement in the way we work with families from the first time we come into contact with them through their immigration decision and where necessary their return to their home country. Working with families will be key to the success of the new process – family conferences will ensure everyone understands the process, assistance will be offered to families and the benefits clearly explained, with additional assistance to the family when back in their home country if required.

There are always going to be those who try to frustrate the process and refuse to comply with requests to leave. The creation of the independent family returns panel will mean independent provide oversight of when a family is deemed to have exhausted all options and recommend a tailored returns plan. Our aim is to support families throughout this process, helping them remain in the community for as long as possible, but to ensure families work with us on leaving the country when their right to remain in the UK has been exhausted.

(In Labour’s last 5 years in office alone the Government locked up 7075 kids, that’s an average of almost 4 children a day locked up by Labour. · Between 2005 and 2010, 7075 children were locked up for an average of just under 2 weeks each (12.74 days) · Last year alone 1065 children were locked up by Labour, 173 of whom were locked up for more than a month. )

0 thoughts on “The Ending of Child Detention for Immigration purposes.”

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  7. Whilst delighted that this aborrent practice is to be stopped, I can’t help but view it with a degree of cynicism as it’s part of Cameron’s ‘Operation Save Nick’.

    Now, are these children going to be living in poverty along with a huge number UK’s children?

    Hmmmm, I wonder what sort of Christmas these impoverished children are likely to enjoy.

    On a slightly different subject:

    http://thethirdestate.net/2010/12/seth-thevoz-why-i-am-leavong-the-lib-dems/

  8. “One of the best ways to judge the moral compass of a nation is how we treat children …”

    Like how the UK treats children born prior to 2006 to unmarried British fathers?

    By denying them citizenship through a British parent whilst all other children born to at least one British parent can just fill out an application form for a UK passport? By allowing a registration system for children born to British mothers, but telling children born to unmarried British fathers, the registration system doesn’t apply to them, even though human rights groups have stated otherwise?

    By allowing the Home Office to pick and choose which illegitimate child has their birth registered and who does not? Google “William Watrin-Cattrall” and “Leo Poole” for just two examples of many detailing the Home Office’s abuse of the registration system for illegitimate children.

    But I digress.

    “Along with the ending of child detention for immigration purposes, the government has also announced the reform of our immigration system to make it more family friendly – creating a system that is humane, fair and effective.”

    Will illegitimate children be left out *again* from such immigration reforms? Us kids being “Britain’s toilet”, it’s becoming a bit harsh seeing so many other children acquire British citizenship while we languish due to UK politician’s bigoted views and their deep hatred for us kids coming into the world in a situation we had absolutely no control over (like being born gay, or black, but these groups would *never* dare be denied a UK passport).

    Should illegitimate children be left out (AGAIN!) of upcoming “humane, fair and effective” immigration reform, Lynne please do not announce any victory come March. Our faces were slapped enough when Phil Woolas denigrated our existence to sub-human last year.

    Your department’s lack of ability to sit down and work something out for all illegitimate children to have a fair path to British citizenship is laughable. Given the lives in jeopardy over this discrimination, the joke stopped being funny a long time ago.