Campaigners have said the revelation in the Home Office's business plan for 2011-15, is "bitterly disappointing".
The Children’s Legal Centre, which works with unaccompanied migrant children, denounced the government for delaying the commitment to end child detention for immigration purposes.
Kamena Dorling, manager of the Migrant Children’s Project at the Children’s Legal Centre, said: "This announcement is bitterly disappointing. The coalition government initially promised to end this kind of detention within weeks – it now look like it will still be taking place almost one year into their leadership.
"The best approach would be to end detention immediately and devote time and careful planning to establishing alternatives which safeguard and protect the best interests of children. But the government is delaying ending this extremely harmful practice."
