Sign the Petition!
Over 4,000 have signed!
We have now attracted more than 4,000 names to the end child detention petition on the N010 web site, which is among the top 40 most signed petitions in the country. This is a fantastic achievement in just a few short months. But we know that there are many, many more people out there who share our opposition to the imprisonment of children, so please pass this link on to all your friends, families and colleagues.
Among the many signatures on the petition we are thrilled to see Emma Thompson, Juliet Stevenson, Bishop Michael Campbell of Lancaster, Colin* and Livia Firth, Jacqueline Wilson, Michael Rosen, Benjamin Zephania, Philip Pullman, Michael Bond, Lenny Henry, Michael Morpurgo, Lynne Reid Banks and hundreds of health professionals, clergy and social workers. Please take a minute to join them by following the link below.
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/NoChildDetention/
You must be a UK voter or resident in the UK to sign the e-petition. Only your name is published on the petition website.
* well done Colin on your Oscar nomination!
Are you a Medical Practitioner?
This petition promoted by Dr Frank Arnold is particularly directed at medical practitioners.
If you are one please go the petition site by clicking here.
The administrative detention of children is damaging to them, cannot be made otherwise, and is unacceptable in a civilised society. We call for the immediate cessation of this practice which is demonstrably and permanently harmful to children’s health, both in the short and long term.
We call upon the government to end the immigration detention of children and families.
Until that happens urgent steps are needed to minimise avoidable harms to children. These are as follows:
Children and young people in immigration detention should be recognised as Children in Need and given the same safeguards, such as an Initial Assessment completed within 7 days.
Primary and secondary medical care to CYP and their families should be adequately resourced and provided on the same in-reach basis as for the prison service.
GPs in the community and doctors in secondary care should consider the damaging effects of detention on children and young people and wherever necessary make representations to the immigration services to prevent children with health problems from being detained
GPs providing care for children in IRCs should be especially mindful of the damaging effects of detention on them, and intervene in a timely way to protect their health and well being, including recommending release of any child at risk of further harm. We call upon the GMC and the medical profession as a whole to support doctors who may have to defend themselves for carrying out their duties toward these children.
