An article
from Tuesday, 11th September in the UK Guardian described the
efforts of Anne Marie Carrie, the chief of Barnardo’s. It is an accommodation
centre for families who have been refused asylum and are waiting to be deported
back to their home countries. She says that her organization comes under fire
often, from anti child detention organizations, but she claims that keeping the
children with their families, even if it is in a detention centre, is far
better than the alternative, which is to split up the families as they wait and
send the children to foster homes to await deportation.
She also
acts as a crucial voice for these families, as their rights are commonly
ignored. She is unafraid to call the necessary authorities to ensure that the
rights of the families are looked after, even though the State has denied them
official protection. “If not us, then who?” she commonly asks.
Barnardo’s
is a service at Cedars, the “pre-departure accommodation centre” that provides
accommodation for failed asylum seekers. At the onset, Barnardo’s established a
set of “red lines” that could not be crossed regarding the rights of refugees.
Once crossed, Carrie took action. She raises concerns every time she believes
the rights of refugees have been breached, and her voice is a valuable one to
these vulnerable families.
Brophy Solicitors
12.09.12
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