Clause 14 — Establishment of Centres

Part of Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill – in the House of Commons at 4:45 pm on 5 November 2002.

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Photo of Dr Jim Marshall Dr Jim Marshall Labour, Leicester South 4:45, 5 November 2002

I agree with everything that my hon. Friend has said, but I cannot help but feel, in my cynical way, that he is putting too positive a gloss on what Home Office Ministers are trying to do. I suspect that the Home Office does not want these children to put down roots in the local community. It does not want them to go to school with kids who live in the community, because if their parents were refused permission to stay in the United Kingdom, the Home Office would have to deal with appeals such as those my hon. Friend and I present on behalf of those parents, when we say, XThe children are now part of the local community and it would be a disgrace to remove them, so let them and their parents stay." Does my hon. Friend think I am too cynical?