Does Every Child Matter?

A new report which is launched today already looks like proving controversial, by arguing that child asylum seekers are not being treated under the guidelines established by the government.

The first report from the new charity Refugee & Migrant Justice claims that children who arrive in the UK are often denied access to services and facilities to which they are entitled, and provides several case studies as evidence. You can read the full report, entitled Does Every Child Matter? online now.

The UK Border Agency, which is responsible for controlling migration in the UK, has swiftly rejected many of the report's findings. Since January a new Code of Practice has been in place which sets out how children seeking asylum should be handled. You can read this by clicking here.

If you have an interest in this topic, it may be worth looking at the Refugee Legal Centre website (the previous name for Refugee & Migrant Justice). Although the site is now no longer being maintained, it still contains quite a few documents which students may find useful.