In May 2010 the Government announced that it would end the immigration detention of children, but it is failing to do so say the Children's Society. Between May and the end of August 2011,in agregate 697 children were held at Greater London and South East ports. Almost one third were unaccompanied children. This could mean as many as 2,000 children could be detained each year. Shockingly the Home Office is not collecting information on the length of detention or reasons why the children have been detained. In December 2010 the Government published details of its new policy to end the detention of children; within this, the Government retained the right to only hold a few dozen families each year in border cases. The Children’s Society welcomed the progress made by the Government in response to the ‘Outcry!’ campaign; a joint initiative between The Children’s Society and Bail for Immigration Detainees to end the immigration detention of children.
Pray: that the authorities will stand by their promises. (Ps.36:3)