Refugee Children's Consortium
The Refugee Children's Consortium (RCC) is a group of NGOs working collaboratively to ensure that the rights and needs of refugee children are promoted, respected and met in accordance with the relevant domestic, regional and international standards. The Children's Society currently chairs the RCC.
The main lobbying activities of the consortium are currently focussed on the draft Immigration and Citizenship Bill and how its provisions will apply to children. RCC has welcomed a new measure in the Bill which will ensure that the UK Border Agency has regard to children’s safety and welfare when carrying out its duties. We are currently working with the Government to ensure this duty will be strong enough to make a real difference to children.
Other RCC priorities include:
- Ensuring the “UASC reform programme” puts children’s interests first, and guarantees an equal standard of treatment for refugee children in care.
- Working to make sure children in the immigration system are kept safe from harm by lobbying for duties in the Children Act to apply equally to the UK Border Agency.
- Campaigning to end the immigration detention of children, and ensure families are not split up by being detained.
- Ensuring children are not returned to countries or circumstances where they would be unsafe or at risk of harm.
- Fighting the enforced destitution of children and their families who seek asylum in the UK.
