complete overhaul of the detention of children

Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers published a report on Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre, which heavily criticises the detention of children. Her call for "a complete overhaul of the detention of children" was supported by the No Place for a Child Coalition.
Yarl's Wood in Bedfordshire held 32 children at the time of the inspection, seven of whom had been there for more than 28 days. Inspectors carried out structured interviews with 13 detained children.

Key concerns were:

there was no evidence that children's welfare was taken into account when making detention decisions;

a social worker had been appointed to make independent assessments of children's welfare, though she later resigned. Her role was unclear and there were no systems to ensure that her

advice affected decisions; and

there were weaknesses in child protection arrangements.

Anne Owers said:

"Our interviews with detained children present a child's eye view of detention. They vividly illustrate the effect of sudden arrest and detention on the wellbeing of children, and the extent of their fears and anxieties for themselves and their parents.

"These are not matters that Yarl's Wood managers can deal with alone; though more could be done to improve child protection practices in the centre. They require a complete overhaul of the detention of children, informed by a proper understanding of the vulnerability of children and the safeguards required in domestic and international law."

Commenting on behalf of the No Place for a Child coalition, Jane Dykins, Head of the Children’s Section at the Refugee Council, said:

“The Government’s own Chief Inspector could not have said it more clearly: Yarl's Wood is no place for a child. Anne Owers confirms that their needs are not taken into account when making decisions - contrary to all good practice and the government’s policy of putting children’s needs first.

"It’s truly shocking to hear that nearly one quarter of the children had been locked up for over 28 days. The cost of detention is high for the state - but so much higher for children, who don’t know why they are locked up or for how long they will be there.”

Colette Marshall, UK director of Save the Children, said: "This report confirms what we already feared - that the welfare of children is being seriously neglected at Yarl's Wood. Handcuffing 13-year old children is a stark example of an immigration system that is using unnecessary force to detain children who have committed no crime. These children need protection not punishment."
Sarah Cutler, Assistant Director - Policy at Bail for Immigration Detainees said:"Anne Owers' findings confirm that existing safeguards, including the system of reviews of detention and welfare assessment, are completely inadequate to protect children in detention. Yarl's Wood was not even able to provide comprehensive data for the period since the last inspection about the number of children passing through the centre or how long they were there."

Refugee Council, Save the Children and Bail for Immigration Detainees are partners in the No Place for a Child campaign, to stop all detention of children for immigration purposes.