Refugee Council response to proposals to disperse unaccompanied children in leaked document from No. 10 policy unit

Refugee Council response to proposals to disperse unaccompanied children in leaked document from No. 10 policy unit

28 May 2002

Terry Smith, Head of the Children's Section at the Refugee Council, said:

"Clearly we recognise the pressures local authorities are under trying to meet the needs of refugee children who arrive without parents, often traumatised and very vulnerable. However we are very concerned about proposals to put children through the dispersal system. Policy should be driven by what is in the best interests of the child, and that can only be done following a full assessment of their individual needs and developing a care plan to meet them. It is not just about putting a roof over their heads, and leaving them with no backup or support."

Read the full story in the Guardian on-line:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianpolitics/story/0,3605,723425,00.html

Source: http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/