Press releases

Maggie Atkinson, Children's Commissioner for England, responds to the Government's announcement to close the family unit at Yarl's Wood:

"I am absolutely delighted that the coalition government has followed through on its commitment to end the detention of children for immigration purposes. The closure of the family unit at Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre will mean children in the asylum system will no longer be subject to 'prison-like' conditions. 

"We have worked long and hard to stop this kind of detention because of the detrimental impact it has on children's mental health and physical well being. We are working with the Government to establish suitable alternatives to detaining families in this way. Today's move is one step closer to achieving a fairer asylum and immigration system."