Queen’s speech confirms plans to end child detention but fears raised over punitive alternatives
The government confirmed plans in the Queen’s Speech today that it “will limit the number of non-European Union economic migrants entering the United Kingdom and end the detention of children for immigration purposes.” However, David Cameron’s government has yet to commit itself to a time-table which means that the abusive imprisonment of children and their parents in immigration detention centres continues unabated and with no definite end in sight.
Neil Puffett in a good article for Children and Young People Now gathers responses from a number of child welfare and refugee and asylum supporter organisations and highlights concerns at the prospect that Damian Green’s review could result in children being separated from their families.
The government must not be allowed to replace one form of child cruelty with another. Any alternative to detention must be humanitarian and in the best interests of the child and not designed to suit the operational convenience of the immigration detention industry and the UK Borders Agency.
I fear there is no substantive change to policy in real terms. As there is no timetable for change, as in all things political, then there will be no change. Child detention is not a matter high on their agenda, bearing in mind that the cuts that are about to be implemented will affect British children, and their standard of living. Scotland has already seen a major shift, upwards, in the percentage of children now living in poverty. The austerity measures that will soon be in place will accelerate this shift exponentially. If we regard the Tory directive on immigration as the benchmark, we can see that harsh and rapid responses to, ‘illegal’ immigration, is at the forefront of their policy tactics. Therefore to mealy-mouth about Child Detention is exactly that. It is impossible, within a political framework, to be tough on immigration and humane on immigrants. This government, in its very short tenure, has shown little or no humanity or scruples for that matter, and I believe that the words about eradicating child detention, which were spoken today, are exactly that; words!
Re the email above, I don’t see how a very welcome decision to stop detaining vulenerable children has anything to do with proposed cuts in public spending. This is a campaign to end child detention not a campaign to increase public spending. The proof will be in the pudding, but no Government has made a commitment like this before in a Queens speech and it is excellent news. It should be responded to constructively and not just dismissed in derisory terms. I hope detention is not replaced with separating children from their parents – I find it hard to see how this would be compliant with article 8 in any event.
John I apologise if you feel I’m being negative about a speech that should give me positive vibes. May be I am that cynical that whatever they say I take it with a pinch of salt and look for their out, or the but. I hope that what has been promised is delivered, but I’ll not hold my breath. Where, assuming they deliver, are these poor children going to be placed whilst their parents are held? I may be wrong, but I didn’t see any undertaking not incarcerate their parents, (and if there isn’t such an undertaking?), I’m perplexed as to what the outcome for these poor kids will be.