Asylum and childhood in the UK: a highly political relationship

The author aims to address the following questions: What is the nature of the relationship between childhood and asylum in the UK? What are the wider implications of these interactions for the design of the British asylum system in terms of standards set?

The paper is organized and divided into the following sections after the introduction: 'The Child and the Asylum-Seeker as social constructs', 'The policy framework for asylum-seeking children in the UK: between commitment to childhood and immigration control', 'Debates around asylum-seeking children and families: the cases of section 9 and detention', and conclusion. Also included in Appendix 1, 'Interview with refugee organisations'.