New Cameron Government Agrees to End Child Detention
In the early hours of this morning, Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister issued a statement in which as part of a Tory commitment to put a cap on immigration it was agreed to put an end to child detention immigration controls (the latter was a Lib Dem proposal).
End Child Detention Now believes that this important shift in policy has been won thanks to the amazing efforts of campaigners from several organisations and with the help of prominent writers, actors, doctors, refugee community groups, faith groups and parliamentarians from all parties who have kept up relentless pressure in the media and in local communities across the country.
However, this announcement is only the beginning of the final phase of our campaign. We must keep the pressure on the new government to end child detention now, and not just accept a commitment to ‘phase it out’ or or to retain it ‘only for the shortest possible time’.
The UKBA, Serco and G4S will be trying to keep the detention industry profitably arresting and imprisoning asylum-seeking families-so we need to hold Nick Clegg and David Cameron to their pledge and ensure that any sabotage operation fails.
Everyone who can get to London on Saturday June 5th is encouraged to take part in the Release Carnival which is gathering in Torrington Square at 12.00 and then converging on Downing Street with clowns, dancers, street performers and lots and lots of people!
Lets hold them to their pledge – shut down the immigration jails – END CHILD DETENTION NOW!
This is indeed great news. Thanks for the compliment – for those readers who want to know more about the ‘amazing efforts’ of citizens across the UK who used Obama-style community organising techniques to make this happen then check out this blogpost: http://sanctuarypledge.blogspot.com/2010/05/we-just-made-history-new-coalition.html
Expect more detail soon…