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wider campaigning
UNISON and BASW have made many representations to Government
at Scottish and UK level to campaign for the interests of
asylum seeking children and their families.
UNISON has had several meetings with Scottish civil servants
to challenge the infamous ‘dawn raids' and the inhumane
removal of children.
It continues to pursue these issues with ministers. The
union has a policy of seeking an amnesty for all asylum
seekers who have been in the UK for more than a year. It
has also published an ‘Asylum Myths' booklet as part of
its ‘Many Cultures Working in UNISON' campaign.
Along with other organisations, we have had some success
and the Scottish Executive is working towards a range of
initiatives we have called for. These include an end to
dawn raids, a ‘protocol' involving communication between
agencies, a lead professional for all asylum seeker children,
a real assessment of their needs, enhanced disclosure checks
for immigration staff dealing with children and a review
of removals.
However, as we went to print in October 2006, more dawn
raids took place to remove families outwith this ‘protocol'.
There is therefore a need to maintain the campaign at all
levels.
At a UK level UNISON is working with a range of organisations
for asylum seeekers' rights and against racism.
BASW has been campaigning on a UK level and been involved
in lobbying at Westminster, given that these are reserved
issues.
They have also pursued issues with the Minister for Communities,
Malcolm Chisholm and the Commissioners for Children in the
four countries of the UK. BASW are members of the Refugee
Children's Consortium and the Stop deporting Children Group
who regularly lobby at the UK Parliament.
They are also concerned in a new group coordinated by BAAF
investigating the quality of ‘voluntary returns' for young
people.
The next step for both organisations is to build a broad
coalition of a range of groups in Scotland to campaign jointly
for the rights of asylum seeker children
index
contacts
British Association of Social Workers Scotland
scotland@basw.co.uk
17 Waterloo Place,
Edinburgh, EH1 3BG
Tel: 0131 556 9525 Fax:
0131 556 5376
Ruth Stark, Professional Officer 07887 954202
r.stark@basw.co.uk
www.basw.co.uk
UNISON Scotland
14 West Campbell Street,
Glasgow G2 6RX Tel: 0845 355 0845
Fax: 0141 331 1203
Text tel: 0141 248 3981
See: www.unison-scotland.org.uk/contacts
for local branches and resource centres.
UNISON Direct (6am-midnight Mon-Fri, 9-4 Sats). 0845
355 0845 Freephone Textphone 0800 0 967 968
www.unison-scotland.org.uk
Booklet compiled by Compiled by Kate Ramsden, John Stevenson
UNISON and Ruth Stark BASW.
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Social
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