Number of asylum seeker children detained rises

The number of asylum seeker children held in detention centres increased in the first quarter of this year official statistics out today show.

At the end of March of this year 50 children were held in detention centres up from 45 at the end of 2006.

Forty of the children had been in detention for less than one month and, ten for between one and two months.

Other figures showed a one per cent fall in the number of people claiming asylum from the previous quarter to 5, 680. The figure is also 12 per cent lower than for the same time last year.

The number of applications continues to dwarf the number of removals – standing at 3, 055, 17 per cent lower than the figure for the final quarter last year.