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Letter
sent by UNHCR London
Dear
Sir / Madam
In
today’s world beset by conflict and insecurity, no group is
more vulnerable than children. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) welcomes
the proactive approach towards child protection taken by the United
Kingdom in the current Children Bill, which is undergoing its Second
Reading on 13 September.
The
positive direction of this draft legislation shows a genuine intention
to improve the lives of children who were previously falling through
the cracks of the existing protection system. UNHCR endorses the
government’s ongoing commitment, but together with the Refugee
Children’s Consortium, we seek your support to ensure that
refugee children do not remain outside the protective measures established
by this important legislation.
It
is essential that the Children Bill indeed covers asylum-seeking
and refugee children. In particular, UNHCR believes that agencies
responsible for caring for children at ports of entry, immigration
removal and detention centres, as well as the National Asylum Support
Service, should be specifically included in Clause 8 of the Bill.
In
addition, a reservation by the United Kingdom to the Convention
on the Rights of the Child entered upon ratification excludes refugee
and asylum-seeking children from the legal protection afforded to
other young people. UNHCR disapproves of this reservation, and notes
that the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has
stated that it is not compatible with the object and purpose of
the Convention. We urge the government to withdraw its reservation
to this important international agreement.
The
UN refugee agency believes that by rectifying these omissions, the
Children Bill would be greatly strengthened in respect of refugee
children. Whilst the United Kingdom hosts just a small fraction
of the world’s refugees, last year more than 11,000 children
sought asylum here. More than one-third of these youths were not
accompanied by adults, and thus in need of the greatest protection
afforded by the law. We hope you will offer your support in raising
the above mentioned amendments during the Children Bill Second Reading.
Again,
UNHCR is grateful for the support and attention the Parliament has
shown in addressing the needs of children. We remain available should
you seek further information regarding the gaps we have noted that
leave the proposed Children Bill neglecting the most vulnerable
of all groups, refugee and asylum-seeking children.
Yours faithfully,
Anne
Dawson-Shepherd
Representative to the United Kingdom
September
2004
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