Illegal Migration Bill poses serious threats to children’s health, warn doctors

Leading medical organisations have called for an emergency meeting with the home secretary and the health secretary over concerns that tens of thousands of children could be locked up indefinitely if the Illegal Migration Bill becomes law.A letter from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the BMA, the Royal College of Psychiatry, the Royal College of General Practitioners, and the Faculty of Public Health was sent to the home secretary, Suella Braverman, and England’s health secretary, Steve Barclay, on 19 June.It warned that the Illegal Migration Bill, currently in the committee stage of the House of Lords, could result in “serious harm and risks” to children, including post-traumatic stress disorder, clinical depression, and suicidal behaviour. The consequences of being detained can affect children’s lives and wellbeing long after they are released, the letter added.The current time limits for detention are 24 hours for separated children, 72 hours for…
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