Child detention: high court case starts today

Two mothers have started a high court case to bring an end to the detention of children in immigrant removal centres.

Single mothers Reetha Suppiah and Sakinat Bello who were detained by UK Border Agency (UKBA) in dawn raids this year say they have evidence that periods of detention are unlawful as they cause serious harm to children.

Lawyers from Public Interest Lawyers (PIL), with the human rights group Liberty and the campaign group Bail for Immigration Detainees, acting for the pair, launched the challenge today.

Reetha Suppiah and her two sons, aged one and 11, were taken to Yarl's Wood detention centre in Bedfordshire, earlier this year, and detained for 17 days, and Sajubat Bello was detained at Yarl's Wood for 12 days before being released. Their children became sick and suffered from diarrhoea and vomiting.

UKBA figures show that 110 children were detained between April and June this year. But more than 1,085 children were detained during the course of 2009. One child was held for 158 days but the average period was two weeks.

But both PIL and Liberty have accused the coalition government of stalling on its pledge to end the detention of children for immigration purposes.

"It appears that the welfare needs of the families were not properly taken into account or even assessed prior to the decision to detain, and the detention experience has had a profound effect upon them," PIL said.

The Home Office stated that it was fighting the case as it remained committed to the removal of those found by the courts to have no right to remain in the UK.

The case against the Home Office is expected to last three days.