Progress made on child detention review
Immigration minister Damian Green has said the government is making significant progress with its review of child detention.
Appearing at Home Office oral questions on Monday,听Mr听Green used the phrase 鈥榤inimise the detention of children in the future as a whole.鈥� This has led to newspaper reports of a 鈥榗limb down鈥�.
Committed to ending detention
皇冠体育app immigration minister has subsequently issued the following statement: 鈥楽ignificant progress has been made in working towards the commitment to end child detention for immigration purposes and we are currently piloting some proposed changes to our approach developed with partners.听
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鈥榃e have already announced that the family unit at Yarl鈥檚 Wood Immigration Removal Centre will close.
鈥樆使谔逵齛pp Coalition: Our programme for Government, published on 20 May, said: 鈥淲e will end the detention of children for immigration purposes鈥�. That remains.鈥�
Report out today
Meanwhile, the chief executive of the UK Border Agency has responded to a report out today by the Medical Justice Foundation. 鈥楽tate sponsored cruelty鈥� focuses on the practice of child detention and is based on interviews with children.
Lin Homer said that although the UK Border Agency had requested a copy of the report, Medical Justice had declined. 鈥楢s a result we are unable to comment specifically on the accuracy of the report or the findings,鈥� she explained.
She continued: 鈥樆使谔逵齛pp UK Border Agency takes very seriously the need to respect and provide for the mental health needs of vulnerable individuals seeking asylum in the UK, and in particular the need to safeguard and protect the wellbeing of children.
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鈥楾hroughout their asylum application, all individuals receive the same free access to NHS services and additional support that is available to the general public.鈥�