An End To The Internment Of Children In The UK?

An eight-year-old Iranian boy, known only as Child M for legal reasons, who

has been locked up at Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre with his
family since July 15, was released from custody on Thursday in response
to the launching of High Court proceedings against the Home Office
challenging the legality of his detention. His lawyers are currently seeking
a judicial review,arguing that his detention was unlawful under English
common law and under the Human Rights Act.

The child came to the UK in 2007 with his mother and other members of his
family on holiday to recover from the death of his father. Whilst in the UK, a
photocopy of The Satanic Verses was found in their house and reported to
the Iranian authorities, who issued an arrest warrant for his mother. The
family then claimed asylum, but the Home Office subsequently refused
them leave to stay and issued a order for their deportation back to Iran.

If successful, this court case would result in a landmark decision that could
see the end of the routine detention of minors, and hence their families, in
UK immigration centres in future.