It’s a fairly automatic response from a far righter to suggest that we should “send ‘em all home” when questioned about asylum seekers. It seems the LibCon coalition agrees: £4m has been allocated for a new ‘reintegration centre’ to be constructed in Kabul which will receive failed Afghan asylum seekers that are under 18.
Children are shrouded in protective legislation (think ‘Human Rights Act’) meaning that they can remain in the UK if their safety upon return to their native land can not be guaranteed. Many are held in immigration detention centres until they are 18. Not any more in the case of Afghans. Since their safety can be guaranteed in the short term with this new centre, they can be deported immediately.
The new centre will look after an ongoing supply of 12 kids per month until they are 18, and will support 120 adults who are having to reintegrate with their native society.
We are not the only ones doing this, though. A deal was thrashed out in Europe last week resutling in an action plan that said deportation was in the best interests of children. Norway is building a centre in Kabul as well. Sweden, Denmark and Holland are preparing to send kids back there. The argument is that it costs more to look after them in our countries.
I was amazed to read that almost 50% of asylum seekers under the age of 18 are Afghans. Obviously there are many that are older than 18 but say they are not in order to remain here. It is hoped that this policy of sending kids back will nullify this.
There are of course bleeding hearts screaming, “the cheeldren!” about this. I suppose they have a point, with children being innocent and all that (apart from those AK-47 toting ones you see burning effigies of George W. Bush) but I don’t really see why it matters where they get looked after until adulthood. If they were failed asylum seekers in the first place, then they should go back from whence they came.
Just because we are a tolerant society does not mean we should act as a great big bucket of cash for all and sundry that want to come here.
(Feature photo (c) Steve McCurry)
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Its obscene when you think of British soldiers are dying in that country to protect these people from the Taliban.
Tolerance has limits and it has been abused.
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