Asylum Update – 9th October 2008

Research
Refugee Children: Towards the Next Horizon
Health and Social Care in the community
2008 16(5)
C, Watters and Dennis, J.

Unaccompanied refugee children and adolescents:
The glaring contrast between a legal and a psychological perspective
International Journal of Law and psychiatry
2008 31(4)
Derluyn, I and Broekaert, E.

The housing and neighbourhood impact of Britain's changing ethnic
Joseph Rowntree Foundation
October 2008
Perry, J.
Policy and Law
The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has produced
a report that criticisesthe UK Government for failing to meet
international standards on the treatment of children.

Following a six-month Home Office review of the
general reservation on immigration and citizenship to the UN
Conventionon the Rights of the Child (CRC) the UK government
has announced that the reservation will be withdrawn. This means
that vulnerable children who are subject to immigration control will
now be entitled to the fundamental human rights set out in the
CRC. 

UKBA have published a consultation on proposed reforms to the
immigration appeals process.

Events 
Children's Service Network Conference
‘Are Asylum Seeking Children Safe in the UK?'
The conference is to be held on Tuesday 14th October in London.
It will examine the "tension between asylum legislation and policies
designed to support and protect vulnerable children", with speakers
from UKBA, IOM and other bodies.

News 
The Home Office has launched an investigation into the alleged abuse
of asylum seekers during their detention and removal from the UK: 
Under the Freedom of Information Act the Home Office has released
information on: 'Deportation of asylum seekers failed due to
disruptive behaviour by the passenger'.

The Chief Inspector of Prisons has published a Report on an
announced inspection of Tinsley House and Yarl's Wood Immigration
Removal Centre carried out in March 2008.
Resources
The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and the Housing 
Associations'Charitable Trust (HACT) have launched the first housing 
rights website to be specifically aimed at answering housing rights 
queries for new migrants.