Removal of failed asylum seeker families to be reviewed

The government is launching a UK-wide review of the way it removes failed asylum seeker famiies after strong criticism of the dawn raids that currently take place, it was announced yesterday.

Ministers want to learn if there are aspects of the removal system for families they can improve on, a Home Office spokesperson said.

Immigration minister Tony McNulty also announced that the police will take on a lesser role in the removal process and immigration staff will undergo enhanced Criminal Records Bureau checks.

Other plans which only apply to Scotland were also announced. These include a lead profesional being allocated to ayslum cases who will collect information, such as if an asylum seeker has mental health problems.

Meanwhile a coalition of children’s charities has estimated that more than 2,000 asylum seeker children a year are held in UK detention centres.

The group, which includes Save the Children yesterday launched a campaign to call on the government to stop detaining children. The Home Office does not publish figures showing exactly how many children are detained.