Charities tell PM: Ditch plans to lock up refugee children

Photo by Siddhant Soni on Unsplash

The UK's top children's charities have joined refugee charities, faith leaders, medical bodies and others to call on the government to scrap plans to lock up refugee children as part of the Illegal Migration Bill.

The 152 signatories to an open letter to the Prime Minister, coordinated by Together With Refugees, include NSPCC, Save the Children, Barnardo's, The Children's Society, Coram and Children England, as well as the BMA, MSF, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Choose Love, Freedom from Torture, Refugee Council, Safe Passage International, Citizens UK and Plan International UK.

The full letter and list of signatories follows below:

Dear Prime Minister,

The Illegal Migration Bill will not just strip people fleeing war and persecution of their right to seek safety but punish them, based simply on how they came here, not whether they need protection. UNHCR has stated that the bill, if passed, would amount to an asylum ban.

One of the most extreme and cruel aspects of the bill is the proposal to detain children who have already suffered the terrible trauma of fleeing their home and making a dangerous journey to the UK. A Refugee Council impact assessment found that this could affect over 45,000 children in the first three years of the bill coming into force, including nearly 15,000 children who have been separated from their parents and have come to the UK alone.

Before the coalition government ended the routine detention of children in the UK in 2011, medical experts found that almost all detained children suffered a significant deterioration in their mental and physical health as a direct result of their detention. Reported child mental health difficulties included emotional and psychological regression, post-traumatic stress disorder, clinical depression, and suicidal behaviour.

Most people would rightly be appalled by the idea of detaining thousands of children who arrive here in search of safety, having fled war zones and persecution. As a nation, we must stand firm in our commitment to uphold children's rights and show care and compassion to any child in desperate need of protection.

Today we stand together to call on your government to retain existing time limits which prevent the routine detention of refugee babies, toddlers, and children.

Your sincerely,

Aberlour Children's Charity, SallyAnn Kelly OBE, Chief Executive
African Rainbow Family, Aderonke Apata, Founder and CEO
Art Refuge, Bobby Lloyd, CEO
Article 39, Carolyne Willow, Director
Ashton Churches Asylum Project, Dr C Wooff, Joint Leader
Asylum Aid, Alison Pickup, Director
Asylum Matters, Paul Hook, Director
Asylum Welcome, Mark Goldring, Director
Baobab Centre for Young Survivors in Exile, Sheila Melzak, Director
Baptist Union of Great Britain, Rev Lynn Green, General Secretary
Barnardo's, Lynn Perry MBE, CEO
BFAWU, Ian Hodson, National President
Big Leaf Foundation, Kayte Cable and Vicki Felgate, Co-founders
Birmingham City of Sanctuary, Dr David Brown, Chair
Black Europeans, Elmedina Baptista-Mendes, Chair
BMA (British Medical Association), Dr Jan Wise, Chair of Medical Ethics Committee
Bristol Refugee Rights, Qerim Nuredini, CEO
British Association of Social Workers, Dr Ruth Allen, Chief Executive
Calderdale Valley of Sanctuary, Amber Ray, Communications and Engagement Officer
Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign, Adrian Matthews, Trustee
CARAS, Eleanor Brown, CEO
Care4Calais, Steve Smith MBE, CEO
Caritas Diocese of Salford, Patrick O'Dowd, Director
Caritas Shrewsbury, Ben Gilchrist, Chief Executive
Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN), Raymond Friel, CEO
Children England, Kathy Evans, CEO
Children's Rights Alliance for England (part of Just for Kids Law), Louise King, Director
Choose Love, Josie Naughton, CEO
Citizens of the World Choir, Tess Berry-Hart, Director
Citizens UK, James Blatchley-Asfa, Assistant Director
City of Sanctuary UK, Sian Summers-Rees, Chief Officer
Columbans in Britain, Mauricio Silva, IRD Coordinator
Communities Together Durham, Rev. Joanne Thorns, Refugee and Asylum Seeker Project Co-ordinator
Coram, Dr Carol Homden CBE, Chief Executive
Coventry Against Racism, Anthony Conway, Secretary
Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre, Toni Soni, Centre Director
Darlington Assistance for Refugees, Fran Wood, Chair
Daughters of Charity Services, Mark Choonara, Chief Executive Officer
Daughters of Charity, Rosalie Rendu Province, Elizabeth Ferrie, Representative
Detention Action, James Wilson, Director
Detention Forum, Jonathan Ellis, Project Director
Devon and Cornwall Refugee Support, Tom Rose , Case worker
ECPAT UK, Patricia Durr, CEO
Europia, Kush Chottera, CEO
Evesham Vale Welcomes Refugees, Ros Gowers, Coordinator
Fatima House, Nathalie Marytsch, Deputy Co-ordinator
FODI, Sunderland, Steve Newman, Chair for Refugees, Amber Bauer, CEO
Freedom from Torture, Sonya Sceats, CEO
Friends of Refugees London, Shaharazad Abuel-Ealeh, Trustee
Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group, Anna Pincus, Director
Global Link, Gisela Renolds, Executive Director
Govan Community Project, Traci Kirkland, Head of Charity
Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit, Denise McDowell, CEO
Harrogate District Of Sanctuary, Catherine Margham, Volunteer
Hastings Community of Sanctuary, Polly Gifford, Co-Chair
Hay, Brecon and Talgarth Sanctuary for Refugees, Ailsa Dunn, Secretary
Helen Bamber Foundation, Kerry Smith, Chief Executive
Home Office Vigil, Barbara Kentish, Co-organiser
Hope for the Young, Matt Blacker, Chief Executive
Horsforth Chaplaincy Project, Rose McCarthy, Refugee Support Worker
Humans for Rights Network, Maddie Harris, Director
Humans of Wolverhampton, Mary Solomon, Lead
Islamic Relief UK, Tufail Hussain, UK Director
Jesuit Refugee Service UK, Sarah Teather, Director
Justice and Peace Coordinating Council Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, Phil Watson, Chair
JustRight Scotland, Emma Hutton, CEO
Kids in Need of Defense UK (KIND UK), Katie Fennell, National Coordinator
Leeds Asylum Seekers Support Network, Jon Beech, Director
Leicester City of Sanctuary, Pete Hobson, Chair of trustees
Liberty, Ruth Ehrlich, Head of Policy and Campaigns
Magic for Smiles, Jamie Balfour-Paul, Founder and Performing Magician
Malvern Green Space, Nadia Abdo, Chair of Trustees
Manchester Community Central, Molly Lipinski, Violence Reduction Alliance Facilitator
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) UK, Dr Natalie Roberts, Executive Director
Medical Justice, Emma Ginn, Director
Methodist Central Hall Manchester, Revd. Ian Rutherford, City Centre Minister
Migrant Democracy Project, Lara Parizotto, Co-Director
Migrant English Project, Maude Casey, Volunteer Caseworker
Music Action International, Lis Murphy, Creative Director
Muslim Council of Britain, Zara Mohammed, Secretary-General
National Board of Catholic Women (NBCW), Margaret Clark, NBCW President Emeritus
NNRF, Debbie Royle, Deputy Director
NSPCC, Sir Peter Wanless, CEO
NYAS (National Youth Advocacy Service), Rita Waters, Group Chief Executive (England and Wales)
Opora, Stan Beneš, Managing Director
Our Lady of Kirkstall Friends of Refugees, Angela McNulty, Retired Teacher
Our Second Home, Amos Schonfield, CEO
PAFRAS, Karen Pearse, Director
Pax Christi Scotland, Marian Pallister, Chair
Plan International UK, Rose Caldwell, CEO
Prisoners of Conscience, Gary Allison, Director
Project 17, Abi Brunswick, Director
Project Play, Katie Hall, Advocacy Coordinator
Rainbow Refugees NI, Niamh Rowan, Chair
RAPAR, Alimamy Bangura, Co-Chair
Red Leicester Choir, Charlotte Knight, Secretary
Refugee & Migration Forum of Essex and London (RAMFEL), Nick Beales, Head of Campaigns
Refugee and Migrant Centre (West Midlands), Shari Brown, Partnership and Development Manager
Refugee and Migrant Children's Consortium, Kamena Dorling, Co-Chair
Refugee Council, Enver Solomon, CEO
Refugee Education UK, Catherine Gladwell, Chief Executive
Refugee Psychology Service, Kideshini Widyaratna, Clinical Psychologist
Refugee Resource Centre for Churches, Dave Smith, Coordinator
Refugee Support Group - Berkshire, Nick Harborne, CEO
Refugee Women Connect, Alison Moore, CEO
Refugee Youth Service, Camilla Gordon, Chair of Board
René Cassin, the Jewish voice for human rights, Mia Hasenson-Gross, Executive Director
Restore - a project of Birmingham Churches Together, Jeremy Thompson, Manager
Reunite Families UK, Caroline Coombs, Chief Executive Officer
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Professor Andrew Rowland, Officer for Child Protection
Safe Passage International, Katie Morrison, CEO
Saheliya, Shruti Jain, Chairwoman
Sanctuary on Sea, Fatehullah Naserzai, Coordinator
Save the Children, Gwen Hines, Chief Executive
Scotswood Garden, Karen Dobson, CEO
Scottish Refugee Council, Sabir Zazai, Chief Executive
Seeking Sanctuary, Phil Kerton, Co-Director
Seraphus, Christopher Desira, Director
Shpresa Programme, Luljeta Nuzi, CEO
Six Ways Erdington Baptist Church, Rev Gerard Goshawk, Pastor
Skipton Refugee Support Group, Charles Dobson, Chair
Social Workers Without Borders, Naomi Jackson, Development Lead
Solace Surviving Exile and Persecution, Anne Burghgraef, Clinical Director
South London Refugee Association, Celia Sands, CEO
St Chad's Sanctuary, Abigail Martin, Manager|
St Paul's Church Birmingham, David Tomlinson, Vicar
STAR (Student Action for Refugees), Emily Crowley, Chief Executive
Stories of Hope and Home, Stephanie Neville, Project Manager
Street Talk, Pip Hockton, Director
Suffolk Refugee Support , Rebecca Crerar, Charity Manager
Tees Valley of Sanctuary , Satinder Collins, Chair
The Angelou Centre, Nikita Kaur, Children and Young Survivor Service Manager
The Baca Charity, Jimmy Zachariah, CEO
The Babylon Project, Ali Ghaderi, Founder
The Children's Society, Mark Russell, CEO
The Separated Child Foundation, Richard Hammond, CEO
The William Gomes Podcast, William Gomes, Director
Thread Ahead, Saskia Borchardt-Hume, CEO
Thrive Trafford, Caroline Lewis, Communications & Service Delivery Manager
Together with Migrant Children, Nick Watts, Director
Tuned2Reflection Limited, Tony Lambert , Director
Tynemouth Together with Refugees, Penny Henry, Spokesperson
Voices in Exile, Mel Steel, Director
Voices Without Borders, Ewa Lelontko, Co-founder
Walking with In North Tyneside, Joan Hoult, Chief Executive Officer
Welcome Group Halesowen, Andrew Harwood, Project Manager
Welsh Refugee Council, Andrea Cleaver, CEO
Women for Refugee Women, Alphonsine Kabagabo, Director
Women's Support Project, Claire Cooke, Project Coordinator
Yorkshire and Humberside Maternity Stream of Sanctuary, Diana Flores Gallardo, Senior Project Manager
Young Roots, Jo Cobley, CEO