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Immigration Minister Damian Green has announced that families of failed asylum seekers will no longer be held overnight at Dungavel centre.

Children of failed asylum seekers will no longer be detained overnight at Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre, the Home Office has announced today.

Families detained in Scotland may undergo initial health and welfare screening at the facility but will then be moved to Yarl's Wood centre in Bedfordshire which has specialist facilities and support services.  

'We are committed to ending the detention of children'

Immigration minister Damian Green said that many groups in Scotland had been calling for this change in policy, and called the move a ‘positive outcome’. 
 
He said: ‘We are committed to ending the detention of all children for immigration purposes. I hope that we can have plans agreed within the next few months.
 
‘I have already announced the launch of a comprehensive review of alternatives to child detention, including opening a dialogue with relevant stakeholders, organisations and experts.
 
‘This work has now started, because it is in all our interests, including those children currently in detention, to do it quickly, but to also do it well and safely.’

A wide range of stakeholder groups, organisations and experts will be invited to participate in the review of alternatives to child detention.