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Immigration: Detention of Children

Immigration: Detention of Children

Question

2 June 2010 3.29 pm

Asked by Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will end the detention of children for immigration purposes.

The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Neville-Jones): My Lords, the Government are committed to ending the detention of children for immigration purposes. My honourable friend the Minister of State for Immigration is heading a review on the way forward, which aims to protect the welfare of children while ensuring the removal of those who have no right to be in the UK. He will set out the way forward as soon as possible: certainly in the coming weeks. Currently, I might add, there is one family with two children in immigration detention.

Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope: My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for that reply, and I welcome her to her new high ministerial office and wish her well for the future. When does she expect to be able to end child detention for immigration purposes? Does she not agree that it would be a signal success for the new Government if there could be an early announcement that ended the practice? Is there any chance of her being able to do that sensibly before the House rises for the Summer Recess? Continue reading “Immigration: Detention of Children”

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‘If asked, “Why am I a Quaker, how am I a Quaker?”, this is what I can say.’

Why?

I applied for membership when I felt convinced that being a Quaker is my spiritual home, and I stay with Quakers because it feels like home, a place where I can recharge myself.

I may not share all your beliefs, or yours or yours, but that is not a problem, in fact one of the things that I enjoy about being a Quaker is our diversity in belief. One of the benefits for me is that the hour that we spend in Meeting on a Sunday is probably one of the few times when I’m quiet, and when I open my mind to whatever comes rather than applying myself to a task. Two weeks ago in Meeting for Worship it came to me that the difference between awful and awe-ful is the magic ‘e’ – the energy we find when we meet together that helps us move forward in the world.

How? Continue reading “‘If asked, “Why am I a Quaker, how am I a Quaker?”, this is what I can say.’”

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Why RMJ are facing closure – The government must ensure asylum seekers receive good-quality legal representation before more families suffer

End this ‘inhumane and expensive’ asylum system

The government must ensure asylum seekers receive good-quality legal representation before more families suffer

My organisation, Refugee and Migrant Justice, is the largest specialist provider of legal representation to asylum seekers and the victims of trafficking. We are facing possible closure because of the last government’s mistakes.

The new government has an opportunity to make Britain’s asylum system fairer, faster and more humane. Labour policies to clear backlogs, tighten borders, and appear “tough” have resulted in an expensive, inefficient and inhumane system in which children are routinely locked up and many genuine cases turned down, only to be accepted at appeal – a costly process wasting money for the taxpayer. Continue reading “Why RMJ are facing closure – The government must ensure asylum seekers receive good-quality legal representation before more families suffer”

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Urgent appeal for support from Refugee and Migrant Justice

Hello,
I’m writing to you from a charity called Refugee and Migrant Justice: we provide free legal advice and representation to asylum seekers and other vulnerable migrants in the UK, including victims of trafficking and separated children. We currently have 10 000 clients. We were awarded the Liberty/Justice award in 2005 for our “fearless and consistent use of the law to protect human rights”. We have taken on major test cases which have helped to change policy in the uk.

We are now facing possible closure. A new system of payment of legal aid means that payments are only made when stages of cases are closed – which in our case is on average 6 months after work is started and can take up to two years, due to the delays in the asylum system. We are not asking for more money, just prompt payment of what we are due. Continue reading “Urgent appeal for support from Refugee and Migrant Justice”