In the News
The Guardian, Wells Bohotomani, May 26 2010, A child’s eye of life inside Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre
As the new coalition government moves to end keeping children in detention centres, Wells Botomani, now 14, relives his family’s nightmare at Yarl’s Wood removal centre
Children and Young People Now, May 25 2010, Joint working – Detention pledge met with caution
News of an end to the detention of immigrant children has sparked questions about its implementation, as Neil Puffett reports.
Independent Monitoring Board, May 25 2010. Review of Harmondsworth IRC
The Guardian, Sir Aynsley-Green, May 23 2010, Speedy end to child detention is needed
The promised review must not be an excuse for civil service prevarication – the welfare of children has to come first.
The Guardian, Caroline Slocock (Refugee and Migrant Justice), May 20 2010, Border agency breaking rules over detention of children in Yarl\’s Wood
Immediate action needed to release children until change in law takes effect
The Telegraph, Malcolm Stevens, May 20 2010. Yarl’s Wood immigration centre is not fit for children and families
Children must be safeguarded wherever they are, says Malcolm Stevens. And that includes immigration centres.
BBC, May 19 2010, Truth Lies and Asylum Seekers, Truth, Lies and Asylum Seekers (video)
The programme uncovers the reality of the lives of the asylum seekers in Scotland who have been judged to be bogus, and how they are fighting back to try and stay in the country.
Open Democracy, Clare Sambrook, May 19 2010, When they said ‘We will end child detention,’ they meant ‘Keep on arresting babies’
This morning a mother of an 8-month old baby made a desperate plea for help from her mobile.
Times Online, May 19 2010, Detention of children at Dungavel ends now, says Home Office
The detention of children at Dungavel is to end with immediate effect, the Home Office has said.
Guardian, May 18 2010, The revival of sanctuary
This coalition would end child detention, but that’s just one aspect of our chaotic and cruel asylum system
BBC, May 17 2010, Children ‘to remain’ at Dungavel detention centre
Children of asylum seekers continue to be held at the Dungavel Detention Centre despite a coalition promise to end the practice.
UKBA, May 15 2010, Update on child detention
The government is committed to end detention of children for immigration purposes…
Guardian, May 14, 2010. Asylum children will be kept out of ‘distressing’ detention centres
Damian Green, the immigration minister, is to end the practice of keeping children in detention centres within the next few months.
Guardian, May 13 2010, A welcome move on child detention
The new government’s decision to end the immigration detention of children should be celebrated. But it is only the first step
Open Democracy, Clare Sambrook, May 12 2010, Let’s make sure they really do end child detention now
Financial Times, May 4, 2010, Brown calls for greater equality in society
Mr Brown made an impassionate call for greater equality in British society on Monday.
Liberal Conspiracy, May 4, 2010 Was it Brown’s finest moment yesterday?
The Guardian, May 1, 2010. We must not punish the children .
Quakers oppose detention of migrants’ children, and so should a new government
The Guardian, April 27, Only Liberal Democrats would end child detention
The imprisonment of children in immigration detention centres is wrong, but only the Lib Dems are prepared to say as much
Most of the desperate mothers who are held at Yarl’s Wood are quickly deported: now four of them are taking the Home Office to court, citing violations of their human rights amid nightmarish conditions
Community Newswire, 1 April, 2010. Four in five asylum seekers ‘wrongly refused legal representation.’
Hackney Citizen, 30 March, 2010. Diane Abbott is right to call for Yarl’s Wood closure, say campaigners
Signatures sought for petitions to End Child Detention Now
The Guardian, March 26, 2010 Yarl’s Wood detained baby for 100 days, damning report reveals
Prisons inspector Dame Anne Owers says force used against children twice in last year at immigration removal centre.
The Guardian, March 25 2010, Can Labour ‘out-nasty’ the Tories on asylum?
Phil Woolas’s defence of the inhumane Yarl’s Wood removal centre reflects Labour’s shift to the right on asylum
BBC, March 24, 2010. Children held unnecessarily at Yarl\’s Wood – inspector
An inspection report on Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre has sharply criticised the detention of children.
The Independent, 24 March, 2010. Child asylum-seekers ‘split from their families by force’
Report on immigration centre reveals heavy-handed treatment of young detainees
The Guardian, 22 March, 2010. Demand for investigation of three doctors at Yarl’s Wood
Complaint lodged with General Medical Council amid accusations of poor care at immigration detention centre.
The Guardian, 20 March, Court allows judicial review over Yarl’s Wood detention
Lawyers and human rights groups to give evidence in cases of four women held at Yarl’s Wood detention centre
The Guardian, 14 March. UK ‘ignoring’ systemic evidence of torture among asylum seekers
Charities say reports of abuse being routinely ignored is a ‘systemic and increasing problem’
The Guardian, 7 March 2010, Migrant children face ordeal after lone journey to Britain
Unicef report has stories of children left alone in police cells and being subjected to aggressive questioning.
The Guardian, 1 March 2010, The real distress at Yarl’s Wood
Meg Hillier may deny the extent of the poor conditions at the asylum detention centre, but I have seen them for myself
The Guardian, 25 February 2010, Women fast-tracked to asylum denial
Hundreds of refugee women are being shoved through a system where they don’t have enough time to make a proper case.
The Guardian, 18 February 2010, Don’t deny this detention damage
The government is rebutting findings of a report about the distress suffered by children being held in Yarl’s Wood
The Children’s Commissioner has called for an end to the detention of youngsters in immigration removal centres.
The Independent, 14 February 2010, Locked up indefinitely: The prisoners who have committed no crime
Hundreds of failed immigrants are held in UK detention centres for years. The inmates of one are now on hunger strike
The Guardian, 18 December 2009. Detention centre branded ‘unacceptable’ for women and children
Chief inspector of prisons slams conditions at privately run Tinsley House, including the use of force on two children
Community Care, 18 December 2009, End child detention, Paddington and refugees tell Gordon Brown
‘Whenever I hear about children from foreign countries being put into detention centres, I think how lucky I am to be living at number 32 Windsor Gardens with such nice people as Mr. and Mrs. Brown. Mrs. Bird, who looks after the Browns, says if she had her way she would set the children free and lock up a few politicians in their place to see how they liked it!’ Paddington Bear.
BBC, 15 December 2009, Nick Clegg urges end to child detention ‘cruelty’
Holding hundreds of children in immigration detention centres is “state-sponsored cruelty”, says Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg.
Mail Online, 14 December 2009, Brown attacked for not scrapping asylum policy that leaves hundreds of children behind bars at Christmas
Gordon Brown was last night accused of ‘moral cowardice’ for failing to scrap a controversial asylum policy that will see hundreds of innocent children spend Christmas behind bars.
The Guardian, 13 December 2009, Anglican ‘Santa’ barred from giving gifts to children at detainee centre
When the Anglican expert on St Nicholas tried to spread some cheer at Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre, security guards called in police
BBC, 10 December 2009, ‘My child still has nightmares’
Senior doctors are calling for an immediate end to the detention of children in immigration removal centres, saying their health is being put at risk. One family describes how their time in Bedfordshire’s Yarl’s Wood detention centre earlier this year has affected them.
BBC, 27 April, 2009. Detention of children ‘must stop’
Children who have been refused asylum should no longer be detained while awaiting deportation, the children’s commissioner has said.
BBC, August 22, 2008. Migrant children ‘held too long’
An immigration removal centre has wrongfully detained disabled children and transports families in metal cages, the prison’s inspectorate has found.
