Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza has sounded the alarm over Shabana Mahmood’s controversial asylum reforms – which include proposals to handcuff kids during deportations as a last resortHome Secretary Shabana Mahmood is proposing a radical shake-up of asylum rules(Image: Thomas Krych/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock)Shabana Mahmood has been told her controversial asylum shake-up will cause significant harm to kids in a scathing intervention by England’s Children’s Commissioner.Dame Rachel de Souza has warned the Home Secretary that her proposals to push families to leave the UK – even if children are receiving ongoing medical treatment – must be redrawn. A string of measures put forward by the Home Secretary would also see housing and financial support withdrawn from failed asylum seekers who do not leave.The Home Office is also consulting on how much force officers can use during deportations, with the right to put kids in handcuffs as a last resort being considered. Dame Rachel called on the government to reveal how many children would be affected by the plans – accusing the Home Office of refusing to say. Her office estimates that around 27,000 youngsters would be impacted if the policies come into force.The raft of measures, which have been subject to consultation, were put forward as part of a shake-up designed to drive down illegal migration. Ms Mahmood has said the UK has not previously shown the toughness needed – and warned failure would pave the way for a Nigel Farage-led “nightmare”.Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza has sounded the alarm(Image: Tim Merry/Mirror)But the Commissioner warns the Home Secretary’s plans risk leaving families with children destitute, while the use of force would put them in harm’s way. She also said youngsters leaving care face a cliff-edge if vital support is withdrawn because of their asylum status.Dame Rachel said: “It is essential that we know how many children this may impact, where they live, and what support they might need. Despite my requests, the Home Office cannot assure me of the scope of the impact their proposals would have on children and families. I am therefore writing formally to the Secretary of State to ask how many children will be affected by the proposals.”Campaigners have warned that Ms Mahmood’s plans could pave the way for sick children to be deported even if they cannot be treated in their homeland.Under the proposals, ongoing medical treatment or unavailability of care in a failed asylum seeker’s homeland would not be viewed as a “genuine obstacle” to deportation. This would mean families – including children – would lose accommodation and support as they wait to be removed.They would only have access to support if they would otherwise be destitute or have accepted reasons for not leaving the UK. The Home Secretary has suggested family members could be offered up to £10,000 each – capped at four people – to leave if their asylum application is turned down.Dame Rachel said: “As they are currently set out, all three of the proposals will put children at risk of harm. The Children Act is clear that children’s best interests should always be at the centre of decisions about their lives.”Her submission said proposals that ongoing medical treatment should not be considered an obstacle to leaving is at odds with the best interests of children. It called for this to be reversed.She also said the Home Office should not action proposals to permit Immigration and Detainee Custody Officers to use force against children.In a speech in March, Ms Mahmood said that failure to get control of the asylum system would be catastrophic. She said: “When people see small boat arrivals, at their current scale or they feel the pace and scale of migration today, they feel like we have lost control.”A loss of control breeds fear and when fearful, people turn inwards. Their vision of this country narrows. Their patriotism turns into something smaller, something darker, an ethno-nationalism emerges. The idea of a greater Britain gives way to the lure of a littler England. And other voices – voices to the far right – take hold.”A Home Office spokesperson said: “We note the Children’s Commissioner’s response and are considering all feedback from this consultation.“We will always provide sanctuary to those who genuinely need it. This consultation is about how enforced family returns operate once all legal routes are exhausted, while ensuring there are clear safeguards in place for children.”
