Fred Mackintosh speaks out against detention of children in immigration centres

11.53.00am GMT Sat 13th Mar 2010

Speaking in a debate at Liberal Democrat Federal Conference in Birmingham today Liberal Democrat Candidate in the key marginal seat of Edinburgh South, Fred Mackintosh, spoke out against the detention of the children of asylum seekers and their transfer to Yarl's Wood from Dungaval.

Fred Mackintosh said:

"For years all parts of political and civic Scotland have been united in their opposition to the detention of children at Dungaval. The time has come to end all dentention of children in the British asylum system."

"In Scotland we don't lock up children in the criminal justice system without significant checks and safeguards. The time has come to stop locking up hundreds of children behind barded wire in any UK immigration detention centres."

After a debate - lead by Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary Chris Huhne MP the Liberal Democrats called for:

1. The immediate end to the detention of children under 18 in immigration detention centres.

2. The incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into UK law.

3. Alternative systems such as electronic tagging, stringent reporting requirements and residence restrictions to be used on adults in families considered high flight risks.

4. The long-term development of alternative methods of securing compliance with immigration decisions, such as those found in Sweden, Canada and Australia.

5. Responsibility for the asylum system to be taken away from the Home Office and given to a Canadian-style independent agency.