Church of England bishops have welcomed the Government’s recent decision to end the detention of children for immigration purposes. The Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, Bishop of Woolwich, Bishop elect of Southwark and Bishop for Urban Life and Faith said:
“As the Deputy Prime Minister acknowledges, the detention of families at Yarl’s Wood has been a shameful practice. We have been acutely aware of the impact of removal and detention on those who experience it.
“The children of asylum seekers are a vulnerable group, and must not be made more so by procedures which have no regard for their mental health and wellbeing. We hope that those who have been traumatized by the experience of detention will be supported and monitored in the years to come.”
Bishops welcome an end to child detention