First study into parental deportation shows thousands of UK children affected without safeguards
The first empirical study into parental deportation reveals thousands of UK children are affected, often without consultation or safeguards.
Children barely feature in the policy debates or reforms relating to deportation, despite the fact that thousands of children are profoundly affected by a parent's deportation every year, potentially facing permanent separation or forced relocation from the UK.
This report seeks to address this gap, providing new insights into how children’s welfare is considered and could be brought to bear more meaningfully on the deportation decision-making process.
Drawing on in-depth examination of 15 case files of parents facing deportation, the research looks at how evidence about family life and children's best interests are collected, assessed, and brought to bear on deportation decisions. It finds a number of safeguarding failures and makes recommendations for urgent improvement to the Home Office and Ministry of Justice.
