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The British Association of Social Workers is considering setting up a charity in partnership with other agencies to prevent failed asylum seekers’ children being taken into care, writes Amy Taylor.

Measures under the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc) Act mean support will soon be withdrawn from failed asylum seekers who refuse to return home and their children will be taken into care.

Ian Johnston, director of BASW, said that the measures directly go against the duty on social workers under the Children Act to keep families together.

“If we need to establish a service that would prevent them [the children] from being separated from their parents then we will,” he said. He added that this would consist of providing support to the whole family.

He said that the plans would heavily damage the relationship between social workers and asylum seekers and families whose immigration status was being disputed.

“They are not going to want to approach social workers if they think social workers are the agents of the state,” he said.