The real asylum policies in Europe today largely ignore children among refugees. They are often not listened to and rather treated as if they were possessions belonging to their parents. It is often forgotten that they could have their own reasons for seeking protection. Some of them do.
When children arrive in a family group, the parents are regularly interviewed about the grounds for their asylum application, while often the minors are not given the opportunity to spell out their reasons.
When children arrive unaccompanied, the migration authorities tend to focus only on how to bring them back to their parents, ignoring that they have in many cases escaped from their country with the fullest support of their family. Continue reading “Refugee children should have a genuine chance to seek asylum”
Three teenagers who came to Britain as child refugees discuss their experiences on
That this House is concerned at the decision by the Legal Services Commission (LSC) to cut the legal aid contract of the Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU) from October; notes that this cut amounts toa 70 per cent. reduction in legal aid that the GMIAU canprovide; further notes that the GMIAU is a fully independent voluntary organisation; recognises the invaluable service the GMIAU has provided, and continues to provide, to individuals involved in numerous asylum and immigration cases; further notes that thisservice has been provided for free to those qualifying under the Legal Help scheme; expresses concern that the GMIAU may not be able to continue assisting in as many cases as it currently does; is furtherconcerned about the future welfare of those who could face possible deportation without the legal assistance provided by the GMIAU; and calls on the Secretary of State for Justice to intervene and urgently review the decision by the LSC.
The Children’s Society and Bail for Immigration Detainees was delighted by the pledge made by the new Government to end the barbaric practice of detaining children for immigration purposes and Nick Clegg’s promise that Yarl’s Wood family unit will close. But there is increasing concern about the absence so far of a clear formal announcement of a change in policy from Immigration Minister, Damian Green.