During the last three months of 2005, 540 minors were released fromdetention centres - an increase of 19 per cent on the previousquarter.
Of these, almost one in three had been in detention for more than a weekand 25 were held for between one and two months.
Jasmine Whitbread, chief executive of Save the Children, said: "TheGovernment has said that detention affects only a small number offamilies. These figures show that to be far from true."
Sarah Cutler, chief executive of Bail for Immigration Detainees, said:"Government policy is that detention should occur only where necessaryand for as short a time as possible. Yet 25 children, five per cent ofthe total, were detained for more than a month."
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