News In Focus
20 March 2006
Exam concession claimed for refugee children
Families of a group of failed asylum seekers in Glasgow have been given assurances they will not be deported while their children are sitting exams, according to a report in The Herald today.
The move is said to follow a meeting between senior Home Office officials and around 20 pupils from Drumchapel High School. The pupils have criticised dawn raids on immigrant families.
The Home Office has asked the school for a list of all children of asylum seeker families between S4 and S6 to ensure they are not removed during the exam period.
The pupils have claimed that officials gave reassurances that a more humane approach will be taken when removing families whose asylum applications had failed and that some practices adopted by immigration officers adopted were unacceptable.
It is not clear whether the intervention is part of UK or Scottish-wide policy or will apply only to the Glasgow school.
The Herald says the Home Office would not comment on the private meeting.