Concern about the heavy-handed behaviour of immigration officers towardsasylum-seeking children was fuelled when Scotland's First Minister JackMcConnell spoke out against the "excessive force" used against theKosovan Vucaj family (Children Now, 6-12 October). Officers entered thebedroom of 13-year-old Saida Vucaj and handcuffed her father and olderbrothers, aged 18 and 16, before taking them to Yarl's Wood detentioncentre.
Individuals who have regular and unsupervised contact with a child orvulnerable adult are obliged by law to be checked.
However, a Home Office spokesman said staff were subject to checksagainst the police national computer, adding that the measure was notrequired as immigration officers "do not work specifically withchildren".
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