The government's commitment to end child detention in immigration centres will not be fulfilled until March at the earliest, a revelation that has disappointed campaigners.
News of the delay came to light in a business plan published by the Home Office. The end to the practice has already been delayed twice by the Home Office, despite assurances from immigration minister Damian Green last month that a stop would be put to it by December.
"This announcement is bitterly disappointing," said Kamena Dorling, manager of the Migrant Children's Project at the Children's Legal Centre. "The government initially promised to end this kind of detention within weeks - it now looks like it will still be taking place nearly one year into their leadership."
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