UK asylum children detained - analysis

In case you'd like to read more about the state of asylum-seeking children detained in the UK, there has been a flurry of articles and information on the Guardian website about this issue:

An article about the UK Border Agency's plans for a £4m 'reintegration centre' in Afghanistan: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jun/07/child-asylum-seekers-uk-afghanistan

Here is some data about where asylum-seeking children come from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/jun/08/child-asylum-seekers-data-uk

Here is a really interesting piece about child asylum seekers, and our moral obligation to protect them: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/libertycentral/2010/jun/08/deporting-unaccompanied-child-migrants-immoral

If you read the recommendations on the briefing paper copied on my last post, you will see that one of them is to have all detained asylum-seeking children immediately put on the 'at-risk' list within the social care departments of their local authorities.  This is damning advice from a coalition of highly respected mental health colleges and departments.  It is clear that the 'care' being outsourced to the 'Serco Group Plc' is not up to scratch. 

In the early days of this coalition we are within our right to demand that asylum-seeking children, many of whom have suffered great hardships already, are afforded adequate care respecting their ages and experiences, and are not simply locked up or flown home (perhaps even to be locked up there) because we have no idea what to do with them.

Any contracter that is given the responsibility of housing children whilst they wait for immigration decisions should also be under rigid instructions to ensure the children are being cared for mentally and physically.  They are not pieces of meat.  Some of these children are victims of trafficking; they have come here from war zones; they have suffered enough. 

Let their nightmares END when they reach our shores.  The younger they are, the longer their futures.

During the campaign British government said that it would be stopping the practice of detaining children in this way.  We MUST hold them to account.

Thanks,

Helle :)