Unofficial statistics reveal the number of children being held in UK immigration centres

November 03 2009 by Liam Clifford

Unofficial figures reveal that over 1500 children were held in UK immigration detention centres over a period of 15-months.

It is claimed today that a total of 884 immigrant children were held at the UK immigration removal centre, Yarl's Wood in Bedfordshire, over a one year period between July 2008 and 2009. Another 328 children were also held at the Tinsley House centre near Gatwick between September 2008 and August 2009, and another 103 children at the Dungavel immigration centre located in Scotland between October 2008 and September 2009.

The figures on migrants under the age of 16 that have been held in UK immigration centres across the UK, last year, were in a Government letter from the UK Immigration minister Phil Woolas to the Scottish National Party’s Pete Wishart, the home affairs spokesman for the party.

The letter also revealed that between the months of April 2004 - September 2009, a overall number of 889 children had been detained for longer than 28 days, a action that requires authorisation by ministers.

Scottish minister Wishart said:

“Detaining children in centres made for adults is simply wrong. Whatever the position of the parents, children should not be detained behind barbed wire. That 103 children have been held in Scotland - where the Scottish Government is firmly against child detention is deeply disturbing. It's time for the UK Government to end this practice.

“These figures show nearly 200 children a year are being held for more than four weeks. Regardless of what provision is made for children in these centres they are that they are being held behind bars is unacceptable. I will be pursuing this issue with the UK Government. Children's welfare is not well served by the UK's actions and regardless of their parents' immigration status children should not have to pay this price.”

The letter cautioned that the figures were not subject to detailed checks that apply to official statistics. It added that individual children might have been counted more than once as they were often moved from immigration centre to centre.

See the latest Immigration News