'Compassionate Approach' For Family Repatriation

One of the UK's main facilities for immigrants, the Yarl Wood Immigration Removal Centre will close to children with immediate effect today.

This follows a review of the detention of children and family returns by the Government, working with key partners.

Earlier this year the Coalition Government committed to end child detention for immigration purposes.

Today, it unveils a new, compassionate approach to family removals, following a wide-reaching review and consultation.

The UK Border Agency will now follow a new four stage process focused on engagement with families during the decision making process, giving parents the opportunity to engage in when and how they return, when they have been found to have no legal right to stay in the UK.

The new measures will ensure a family's return home is safe and dignified.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: "Today marks an enormous culture shift within our immigration system.

"The Coalition Government has always been clear that the detention of children for immigration purposes is unacceptable.

"We are placing the welfare of children and families at the centre of a fairer and more compassionate system.

"In recent years we have seen hundreds of children, who have committed no crime, locked up in detention centres. Today we show how we will ensure it never happens again."



Immigration Minister Damian Green said: "I am delighted to announce the immediate closure of Yarl's Wood to children, as pledged by the new Government earlier this year. We also said we would end the detention of children for immigration purposes, and that's what we've done.

"There is a fine balance between taking a compassionate approach to family removals, and ensuring individuals with no legal right to be in the UK cannot prolong their stay and break the rules.

"I believe our new measures are both humane and fair. We are providing assistance packages, and family conferences to ensure families understand their options, and will be trying to ensure that they can remain in the community prior to their departure home. We are also creating a new independent family returns panel to ensure that the welfare of children is considered and properly factored into return plans where enforcement action is necessary."

Specially trained family case workers will in future work with families throughout the asylum decision making process. Once a family's appeals have been exhausted they will be offered support through a new process. It will include:

• Family conferences to discuss their return home, welfare and medical concerns and offer families tailored assisted voluntary return packages
• Assisted voluntary return packages to help them resettle upon their return
• Required returns for families who fail to take up the assistance package, allowing them to remain in the community, but giving two weeks notice to board their flight home and allowing families to self check-in without the need for enforcement action
• An ensured return, as a last resort.
  
  If they fail to depart the UK, a range of options will be considered to ensure the return of families which will be tailored to each family's circumstances. Return plans will be agreed by a new independent panel. New options being developed include a form of short notice removal, the use of open accommodation, and - as a last resort where families resolutely fail to comply- family friendly, pre-departure accommodation, where children will be allowed to have the opportunity to leave the premises subject to a risk and safeguarding assessment and suitable supervision arrangements.
  
  An Independent Family Returns Panel is being set up to ensure that child welfare and safeguarding issues are central to individual family return plans.
  
  The panel will be made up of an independent chair appointed by the Home Secretary and other independent experts. The UK Border Agency and Department for Education would each also appoint a representative.
  
  The UK Border Agency aims to have the new pre-departure accommodation in place in May 2011.
  
  (BMcN)