An influential group of MPs has told the government child asylum seekers should only be detained for short periods, writes Clare Jerrom.
Detention of children should only be allowed immediately prior to their removal from the country or where it is likely that otherwise the family would abscond.
The home affairs select committee said: “We believe that the welfare of the child should be paramount, and that separation of a child of an asylum seeker from both parents by removal is nearly always unjustified."
The dramatic growth in the numbers of people seeking refuge in Britain is “unsustainable”, and if allowed to continue unchecked could result in social unrest, a new report on asylum removals from the committee said.
It could also lead to a growing political backlash which will in turn lead to the election of extremist parties with extreme solutions..
There is a pressing need for more accurate statistics, the committee urged. It is very difficult to address the problem of over-staying failed asylum seekers effectively in the absence of reliable statistics.
Enforced removals need to be carried out more rapidly, effectively and humanely, the report said, and added that if targets are necessary for removals, they should be “rational and achievable”.
The committee believes that detention of asylum seekers can be justified where there are reasonable grounds to suspect the individual will abscond or engage in criminal activities.
However, the greatest scope for improving the credibility of the asylum system lies with reducing the number of applicants and the more efficient processing of new applications. These topics will be considered in the committee’s next inquiry.
