Asylum Debate
Wed., September 21, 2005. 11:41.
Call for cross-party support for protection of vulnerable children
Ministers will today be urged to "pull out all the stops" to ensure that vulnerable children of asylum seekers in Scotland do not suffer trauma and distress and that their human rights are protected by the Scottish Executive. (1) Greens are calling for party differences on asylum policy to be set aside and for MSPs to instead unite in voicing their concern over the harsh treatment of children of asylum-seekers in Scotland.
The Green Party parliamentary debate on the subject this afternoon follows Children's Commissioner Kathleen Marshall's recent attack on the practice of dawn raids on families by police officers in body armour. There is increasing concern that children are facing intimidating and inappropriate treatment that violate their rights and leave them suffering trauma and stress - Professor Marshall said that families seeking asylum are being "terrorised" in Scotland and that dawn raids are "inhumane". (2)
The latest examples of such treatment include the Vucaj family who have lived in Glasgow for five years and were taken from their home on 13 September. They are now awaiting news of their desperate last minute plea to the Home Secretary Charles Clarke and a fresh application for asylum to the Home Office. The family's plight has sparked an outcry from the Vucaj children's classmates at Drumchapel High School and charity Positive Action in Housing is now running a high-profile campaign with messages of support flooding in from across Scotland.
Patrick Harvie, Green MSP for Glasgow and speaker on Communities said, "Families who come to Scotland to flee danger and build a better life are finding themselves forced out of their homes in the early hours, detained for weeks or months in centres that are effectively prisons in all but name. The practices being used are so extreme that it's simply not possible to remain silent, and I would urge MSPs and Scotland as a whole to heed the words of the Children's Commissioner, and raise a public outcry. The way these children are being treated is a far cry from the civilised, just and peaceful way of life all people living in Scotland should enjoy.
"Scotland has a tradition of welcoming those who come to our country, and of caring for those who are vulnerable - Greens want the Executive to ensure that children in this country are not mistreated or hurt in any way. Jack McConnell recently said that ministers need to "ensure that no child is left behind or held back" - we cannot and should not pick and choose which children we protect.
"Regardless of who is responsible for asylum policy, Scottish ministers have a moral obligation and a duty under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to protect children from all forms of violence, be that physical or mental. It is clear that ministers are currently failing in that duty and Greens, along with a increasing number of civic organisations and community leaders, want ministers to pull out all the stops to make sure this changes."
A report from PAIH on the impact of detention in Dungavel removal centre concluded that there was a "suicide culture" and Amnesty International has documented the effects of detention on families noting the serious impact on children's mental health.
Greens also want to highlight the plight of unaccompanied asylum-seekers under 18 who often experience inadequate support, isolation and lack of legal representation and advice. They often end up languishing for months on end in poor quality hostels which lack basic facilities.
Notes
1. Motion for debate in parliament:
*S2M-3323 Patrick Harvie: Children of Asylum Seekers - That the Parliament acknowledges the trauma experienced by the children of asylum seekers when families are removed for deportation and the impact this has on school communities; believes that practices such as those reportedly used against the Vucaj family in Glasgow, including dawn raids, handcuffing of children and the removal of children by large groups of officers in uniform and body armour, are unnecessary and cause fear and distress to the children concerned; affirms its support for the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) which states that governments should protect children from all forms of physical or mental violence; recognises that, while the Scottish Executive has no direct responsibility for the operation of the asylum and immigration system, it is responsible for the welfare of children, for schools and for working with the UK Government to report on compliance with the UNCRC; commends the First Minister for his aspiration "to ensure that no child is left behind or held back", and calls on him to give the greatest possible urgency to realising that aspiration for the most vulnerable children in Scotland who include those facing detention and removal.
2. See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4203670.stm
Additional information
There are few reliable statistics on the number of children of asylum-seekers in Scotland, but there are over 1400 registered with Scottish schools (source: Pupils in Scotland, 2004. Scottish Executive Statistical Bulletin). According to Save the Children, around 2000 children are detained every year in the UK for the purposes of immigration control.
Kathleen Marshall produced a report in December 2004 on children in Dungavel. The concerns she noted include:
- families are detained even though they there is a lack of evidence suggesting they are likely to abscond. In the absence of this evidence, the method of removal from their homes - i.e. dawn raids
- is disproportionate and contrary to welfare of children under the UNCRC. Alternatives to detention have not been fully explored - this should change
- children and young people need to made aware of their rights, and their welfare independently assessed
- information and statistics about detention of children should be made available for public scrutiny
- there is no system in place to monitor what happens to children when they removed from this country
For more information see irr.org.uk/sad/ and paih.org.uk
Contact the Scottish Greens' press team on 07909 933 074.