UN challenges treatment of asylum-seeking children
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has criticised the way children are treated within the UK asylum process.
A report by the UNHCR accused the system of not adequately considering the “family context” of cases to ensure that children are effectively protected.
The report, which was requested by the Home Office, examined a sample of 2,768 asylum claims made by families in 2011, 14 per cent of the total number of claims that year.
Roland Schilling, the UNHCR’s UK representative, called on the Home Office to make the process more family-focused so that “all members of the family are properly identified, documented and assessed and that appropriate status and rights are bestowed upon individual family members”.
Responding to the report, immigration minister Mark Harper said: “The UK has a proud history of granting asylum to those who need it and I am pleased that this report notes our progress in dealing with asylum applications for women and children.”
“I am committed to building a better asylum system and we have already started making improvements which have seen cases resolved more quickly, the number of appeals fall and the cost of asylum support reduced by £220m.
“I will consider how the recommendations in the report can help us make further improvements.”
Campaign group the Refugee Children’s Consortium said it is “concerned” by the treatment of children within the asylum process.
Kamena Dorling, the consortium’s co-chair, said: “This important report reveals that families’ asylum claims are not being considered properly in the first place, raising questions about their subsequent treatment as they progress through the asylum system.”
Source: CYPNow
