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Embargoed: Not for broadcast or publication until 00:01 Tuesday 1 March 2011 - New family returns process begins
A radical new process for managing the return of families found to have no right to be in the UK starts today.
A new Independent Family Returns Panel is one part of a wider, updated approach to managing family returns. The new four-stage process aims to return those with no right to remain in the UK with dignity, ensuring the welfare of children at all times.
The four stage process involves:
* decision-making which will be strengthened through the creation
of specialist family case owners within the UK Border Agency, the
development of pilots to test new ways of working with families
and our continuing work with the UNHCR (the UK Refugee Agency) to
test and improve the quality of our decision making.
*
assisted return, including family conferences to discuss the
family's return home, welfare and medical concerns and
the availability of tailored assisted voluntary return packages to
help families resettle upon their return;
* required returns
for families who fail to take up assistance packages, allowing
them to remain in the community, but giving two weeks notice to
board their flight home and allowing self check-in without the
need for enforcement action; and
* an ensured return, as a
last resort for families who refuse to depart the UK. The new
Family Returns Panel will advise the UK Border Agency on return
plans to ensure the welfare of the child is taken properly into
account. Options will include a form of limited notice removal,
the use of open accommodation, and - as a last resort where
families resolutely fail to comply- family friendly, pre-departure accommodation.
The panel will provide expert advice to the UK Border Agency on the best method of ensuring the return of individual families, taking into account the specific welfare needs of children.
Immigration Minister Damian Green said:
"The Family Returns Panel is a crucial step toward a
more humane removal process for families with no right to be in
the UK; a process which puts the welfare of children at centre
stage.
"At every stage of the process, we expect families
to leave voluntarily, but while we always take a compassionate
approach we must ensure that individuals with no legal right to be
in the UK cannot prolong their stay and break the rules.
"I believe our new measures are both practical and
fair. We are providing assistance packages and family conferences
to ensure families understand their options, and will be trying to
ensure that families can remain in the community prior to their
departure home."
Minister of State for Children and Families Sarah Teather
said:
"We are putting compassion and children's
welfare at the heart of these new arrangements. The panel will
provide independent expertise on how best to manage returns of
individual families, which shows real progress on our commitment
to reform the returns process for families who have no right to
remain in the UK."
The interim independent Chair will be Chris Spencer. Mr Spencer,
until very recently Director of Children's Services at
Hillingdon Council, is also a senior member of the Association of
Directors of Children's Services, a trained child
psychologist and has a long association with child welfare issues.
Other members will include current and former senior Local
Authority Children's Services Directors and Child
Safeguarding Board members. There will also be at least one doctor
to provide professional medical advice and a representative from
the UK Border Agency and Department for Education.
Chris Spencer, the interim Chair of the new Family Returns Panel, said:
"The Family Returns Panel is a welcome and vital body in ensuring the individual welfare needs of families and children during their return to their home countries.
"We welcome the opportunity to assist the government and UK Border Agency in their goal of establishing a more humane family removals policy."
The Panel has been appointed on an interim basis with an open
recruitment process due to begin later in the year.
To view the 'Terms of reference' document
that accompanies this release, please follow the link below;
http://nds.coi.gov.uk/ImageLibrary/detail.aspx?MediaDetailsID=3246
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The government committed to the ending of child detention for immigration purposes. In December 2010, it unveiled a new compassionate approach to family removals, following a wide-reaching review and consultation.
2. The interim Panel will comprise:
Chris Spencer (until very recently Director of
Children's Services at Hillingdon Council)
Pauline
Newman (who will join the Panel in April after her retirement as
Director of Children's Services at Manchester City
Council)
John Donaldson MBE (former Head of Service for
Immigration and Emergency Services at Glasgow City
Council)
Philip Ishola (current Head of the Asylum and
Immigration Service and Counter child trafficking lead officer,
Harrow Children's Services and Local Safeguarding
Children Board) and
Dr John Keen (Medical Advisor to the UK
Border Agency).
3. The new process follows a three month pilot in London and the North West where 90 Family Return Conferences were conducted.
Contacts:
Home Office Press Office
Phone: 020 7035 3535
NDS.HO@coi.gsi.gov.uk
