Church of Scotland condemn detention of five-year-olds
March 08 2010 by Liam Clifford
A senior member of the Church of Scotland yesterday voiced his concerns over the detainment of two young boys’ aged just five-year olds, at the Scottish detention centre in Dungavel.
The two boys, who are twins, Joshua and Joel Ovranah were removed to the UK immigration centre together with their mother Stephanie Ovranah on Wednesday.
The family who are originally from Nigeria, came to the UK in 2006 to escape abuse from Mrs Ovranahs husband.
Speaking about the case, Reverend Ian Galloway from the Church of Scotland said;
"The General Assembly along with many others in Scotland have expressed their abhorrence at the practice of detaining young children and have asked the Scottish government to end this brutal and inhumane regime."
"Here is the latest example of young children being put in distressing circumstances without any indication that they have done anything other than what has been asked of them."
The fear is that the Mrs Ovranah’s partner will try to take the boys by force if the family return to Nigeria. The family who are regular members of the Cranhill Parish Church were in the process of claiming asylum.
Minister Reverend Muriel Pearson, who has visited the family since they have been detained confirmed that she had been informed it was likely that they would be transferred to the Yarls Wood UK immigration detention centre in Bedfordshire.
"It is a horrific experience for anyone to go through, not least for two five-year-old boys."
She also said that the consensus was that the family posed no flight risk and that the whole detention was ‘wholly unnecessary’.
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