Britain’s treatment of unaccompanied refugee children ‘inhumane’, peers argue

Peers have called for unaccompanied children who come to the UK as refugees to be allowed to bring their families, branding current rules “inhumane”.

The Refugees (Family Reunion) Bill seeks to protect the “rights of people who seek safety in the UK, to be joined by their family”, Liberal Democrat Baroness Hamwee, who tabled the Bill, said.

Former top judge and independent crossbench peer Baroness Butler-Sloss argued that children are being “exploited and trafficked” under current rules.

Dangers

She told peers: “Unaccompanied refugee children are not well cared for in this country, there are many dangers for all of them.

“Between 2021 and 2024, children were being placed in asylum hotels and 440 disappeared. 132 have not yet been found, where are they? Almost certainly they’ve been trafficked.”

Lady Butler-Sloss added: “These children, I have to say, need families. They don’t need care homes. It would save a lot of money, the present Government might look at the cost to the country of the care of each individual child.

“This is a situation which is drifting, this Bill is timely, it’s welcome, and it’s important.”

‘Inhumane’

During the Bill’s second reading debate, Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Ludford said: “The core proposition is that families belong together, and that we should do what we can to mend the effects of war and persecution that tear them apart. It is simply inhumane to keep families apart.”

Green Party peer Baroness Bennet of Manor Castle also spoke in support of the Bill, saying: “The Home Office cannot be trusted to behave with humanity and justice, and therefore we need this legal provision.”

Conservative frontbencher Lord Sharpe of Epsom argued the Bill “would potentially jeopardise vulnerable children’s safety as well as having substantial implications for our already stretched public resources”.

Home Office minister Lord Hanson of Flint said: “In our 106th day in office, it would be rash to take those steps today without a reflection on that as a long-term responsibility.”

He added that “wherever possible family reunion is important”, but went on to say: “There are criminal gangs who will watch this debate, watch the progress of this Bill, and will seek to exploit the issues before us.”