Parliamentary inquiry into asylum support for children and young people

The publication of the Report of the Parliamentary Inquiry into Asylum Support for Children and Young People, on 30.1.13, provided a damning account of the treatment of asylum seeking families. 

"We believe that successive governments have failed children by delivering an 

asylum support system that keeps children in poverty, leads to dependency on 

the state and denies asylum seeking families the resources they need to meet 

their needs. Not only must the levels of support be increased to make sure no 

child is condemned to poverty, but many other aspects of the asylum support 

system which prevent children and families from having a dignified existence 

need to be addressed. We hope that the government will consider our report and 

recommendations." (Children's Society).

Into the Unknown - Children's Journeys Through the Asylum Process

This week the Children's Society published a report Into the Unknown, on the experiences of unaccompanied children seeking asylum on arrival in the UK. THe report is critical of the UK Border agency, with the Children's Society maintaining that the UKBA fails to ensure that children fully understand the process they are entered into and that children who may already be traumatised, having fled from violence, have to contend with a culture of disbelief. Many children reported that when being interviewed by the UKBA, there was no responsible adult to act on tehir behalf, and that interpreters often lacked the specific regional dialect or language to do the job properly. The Children's Society concludes that better training is essential for interpreters involved in this work and that an independent feedback and complaints system needs to be established to keep children fully informed of the process of their claim.

Children on the front line of UK Border Control

Safe at last? : children on the front line of UK Border control (2010), published by Refugee and Migrant Justice outlines the alleged inhumane and illegal experiences of unaccompanied children at the hands UK Border Control Agency, on entering the UK, and the new Statutory duty of the agency to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

Why refugees come to the Uk.

Independent research conducted for the Refugee Council reveals that refugees have little or no choice over which country they come to to seek asylum and many did not know their destination, had no expectation of financial support and had the primary objective of seeking safety. See the research report and press release.

E-Doc on hidden Children

The children's Society have published a research report Hidden Children: separated children at risk focussing on children removed from their country of origin, who are then vulnerable to exploitation.