Children's Society welcomes border agency reforms

The UK Border Agency Code of Practice for Keeping Children Safe From Harm was laid before Parliament on 16 December and outlines how immigration staff will safeguard children they work with.

Previously the immigration agency opted out of a duty to have children's safety and wellbeing at the forefront of their work in the way that police and other agencies have to, in case it conflicted with the main task of policing immigration.

The document ties in with the Borders, Immigration and Citizenship Bill, which will come into force in the New Year and will force immigration staff to comply with the duty.

Lisa Nandy, policy adviser at the Children's Society, said it is a significant change.

"It's great in the sense that it's a real step forward for this group of children and a signal from government that it is taking the needs of this group of children seriously," she said.

Nandy added that staff working with children could use the document to hold immigration staff to account.