Children to be released from immigration detention
The Children’s Rights Alliance for
England is delighted that one of the
first announcements of the new coalition Government is the end of detention of
children for immigration purposes. Recent figures show that 830 children entered
detention solely under Immigration
Act powers between April and December 2009.
Carolyne Willow, CRAE’s
national co-ordinator, says:
This is
brilliant news which brings UK policy closer to the requirements
of international law. We await further information about how families will be
kept together as clearly it would be inhumane to separate children from their
parents.
The policy change is included in a document released
by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition Government this afternoon (12 May). This
also promises a reversal of the ‘substantial erosion’ of civil liberties. A full
document covering agreements reached by the two Parties on a range of other
matters is expected in due course. CRAE particularly awaits news on the
coalition Government’s policy on making children’s rights part of
UK law. The Liberal Democrats
promised full incorporation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in its
General Election manifesto.
