Asylum Seekers: Democratic Republic of Congo

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Tuesday 17th May 2011 Lords Chamber

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock]

My Lords, why are the children of failed asylum seekers still held in detention in spite of Mr Nick Clegg’s promise that the coalition would end it?

[Baroness Browning]

My Lords, we take very seriously the question of children. It is a matter that, coming new to this brief, I particularly wish to focus on. We will do all we can because we realise that the wider family, and children in particular, are particularly affected, and it is very important that while we carry out the procedures that are necessary to assess asylum seekers’ status, we take a humanitarian approach to the younger children.