The UK government has been criticized for placing unaccompanied refugee minors in an adult prison, where “a significant number of sex offenders” are also serving their sentences. As reported by the organization Humans For Rights Network, a 14-year-old child was said to be among the detained refugees at HMP Elmley Prison.
According to the human rights organization, at least fourteen children would be housed in prison in the English county of Kent. Most are Sudanese or South Sudanese children who came through Libya; many are victims of human trafficking. The 14-year-old child spent seven months at HMP Elmley, The Guardian newspaper reported, citing the NGO.
In many cases, the British government questions the stated age of the children – and simply places them in an adult prison. Maddie Harris of the Humans For Rights Network said they were aware of 1,000 cases of child age disputes by UK authorities.
‘Children exposed to great harm’
“These children are locked in their cells and do not know who to turn to for help. They don’t get proper legal advice and can challenge the arbitrary decision the immigration authorities made about their age when they arrived in Britain,” said Harris. “These are children seeking safety and instead ending up in an adult prison where they are denied that protection and exposed to great harm.”
Children’s aid organization Coram is also shocked by this approach: “It is wrong to criminalize these children and it is dangerous to send them to prisons for adult men,” criticizes Anita Hurrell, the director of the project for migrant children.
Record number of unprocessed asylum applications
The children can be detained under a law that came into effect last year. Immigration charges, introduced under the Nationality and Borders Act, carry heavier penalties and are designed to act as a deterrent to illegal entry into Britain. The country has a long backlog of asylum applications. The number of unprocessed applications recently reached a new record of 175,000 cases. The age rating is therefore superficial, according to the Guardian.
X-ray examination should provide clarity in the future
“Aging is a difficult but important process to identify real children and prevent abuse of the system,” said a government spokeswoman. In the future, X-ray examinations will be used for age verification.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
