Today (7th May 2024) in the Senedd, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have called on the Welsh Government to protect children seeking asylum in Wales.
According to the Refugee Council, lone child asylum seekers are often at a greater risk of being wrongly classified as adults by the Home Office and then sent to Rwanda under the UK government’s controversial policy.
In 2022, two-thirds of children deemed adults by the Home Office were later confirmed as children by local authorities.
The Welsh Lib Dems have urged the Welsh Government to ensure that children seeking asylum in Wales, especially those on their own, are granted protection as part of Wales’ role as a nation of sanctuary.
Commenting, the Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds MS said:
“Our nation’s reputation as a haven for those fleeing hardships is under threat from the UK Government’s cold-hearted Rwanda policy.
This immoral approach towards what is essentially a human-rights crisis represents a serious threat to our most vulnerable residents, those being unaccompanied children.
According to the Refugee Council, lone child asylum seekers are more likely to be wrongly classified as adults which places them at a greater risk of being forced onto flights and expelled.
We here in Wales, both as a Nation of Sanctuary and under the Social Services and Well-being Act 2014, have a moral and legal duty to protect lone-child asylum seekers.
We cannot allow the Conservatives to trample our values, nor the universal rights owed to children fleeing trauma.”
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