Why Yarl’s Wood is far from a closed book

It’s quite fitting that after years of controversy surrounding the detention of children at Yarl’s Wood Immigration Centre – the announcement to end the practice attracted further criticism after a memorable mess-up at the top of the new Government.

For just one hour on Wednesday afternoon, those living in a corner of North Bedfordshire had lots to celebrate.

Within minutes of the Deputy Prime Minister’s (er-hum) announcement that the controversial Yarl’s Wood centre would close, television crews had descended on Clapham to get the views of the locals.

Councillors and campaign groups – some of whom have been fighting for the closure ever since it opened nearly nine years ago – sent out joyous emails welcoming the news they had been waiting for.

But (some might say, unsurprisingly) the elation was short-lived.

Shortly after Nick Clegg’s statement – in his first Prime Minister’s Question Time – it was corrected. After criticising the last Government for committing a ‘moral outrage’ by detaining 1,000 children, Mr Clegg caused confusion by telling members that the entire centre would close when in fact he meant to say that just the family unit would close.

So – what about the future of the centre? Labour Richard Howitt, the Bedfordshire Euro MP warns that Wednesday’s announcement will not end criticism over whether the rights of detainees are fully respected.

He said it was only the closure ‘of one said episode’ in the centre’s history and added: “The children may be moved from behind bars but they are left without the help they need for what happens next.” There have been numerous calls for the end to the detention of children, not least by the Children’s Commissioner Sir Al Aynsley-Green and as Yarl’s Wood is the only centre in the country to have held children, it has attracted huge criticism over the years.

A recent report by Dame Anne Owers – chief inspector of prisons – revealed that a baby was detained at the centre for 100 days and that 68 children had been kept in for more than a month.

Although welcoming the news

that this will not be repeated, many argue that it is the first of many steps needed to resolve the whole issue of detention.

Campaign group Medical Justice welcomed the announcement as the ‘first step that recognises immigration detention damages children’.

But spokesman Emma Ginn said: “We believe that the harm being caused by Yarl’s Wood is so extensive that the only solution is to close it down.

“Over the last eight years we have dealt with hundreds of children in Yarl’s Wood, many of whom have been very damaged and traumatised by the experience of being detained.

“Some of them have developed depression and have begun self harming and wetting the bed so there are very serious consequences.

“We await further details of the plans and we have been helping the Government look at alternatives which safeguard child welfare.

He said: “A robust immigration policy does not require the detention of children, except in the most extreme circumstances.

“We are now awaiting further announcements about the practicalities and how they will assess the risk of families in the future that are due to be deported.

“A lot of children who were held at Yarl’s Wood have been in the country a long time and have previously been registered at schools. Families are less likely to abscond because of the ties they have with the community.” The Home Office is keeping tight-lipped about the future of the centre and a spokesman said: “The new Government has been clear in its commitment to end the detention of children and this includes those held in the family unit at Yarl’s Wood.

“We are currently working to find an alternative that protects the welfare of children, without undermining our immigration laws.

“Yarl’s Wood family unit will be closed, but the centre will continue to function as an immigration removal facility for adults.” Whatever happens, there’s no doubt that the centre will continue to attract controversy.