UK Borders Bill

I support everything said by my noble friend Lord Avebury. Any nation is judged by the way that it treats the most vulnerable in its midst. Given the examples that we heard today and previously, which are well known to organisations such as the Refugee Council, we would be looked upon with a wee bit of shame by generations to come, considering that the most vulnerable in our midst were those treated most harshly. In a Written Answer I received from the noble Lord, Lord Bassam, he stated: "““As the Government have said on previous occasions, we believe that without this reservation the interpretation of the UNCRC might come into conflict with the UK's own domestic legislation on immigration. For this reason we think that it is right to retain the reservation as presently worded””.—[Official Report, 31/1/07; col. WA 48.]" Is it not time not to retain this reservation, but to take a lead in abolishing it, and to say that children come first in the conflict between immigration legislation and children’s rights? You can argue in government about different legislation—you can have a million words—but one child suffering is a shame upon us as a nation. As I have done on many occasions, I urge the Government to go ahead and withdraw that reservation. I am glad that Section 9 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 has largely been put on hold. We will come to that. It might show that the Government see a glimmer of light and be a wee response to our pleading. I wholeheartedly support the amendment.