Anne McLaughlin (Glasgow North East) (SNP):...I obviously do not
have time to detail everything today—there were 64
recommendations—but I hope that other Members will talk about the
particular issues for stateless people, pregnant women and
transgender people, among others. Shaw called for the definition of
vulnerable persons to be extended. He said that the presumption
against detention should also apply to victims of rape and sexual
violence, to those with post-traumatic stress...Request free trial
(Glasgow North East)
(SNP):...I obviously do not have time to detail everything
today—there were 64 recommendations—but I hope that other Members
will talk about the particular issues for stateless people,
pregnant women and transgender people, among others. Shaw called
for the definition of vulnerable persons to be extended. He said
that the presumption against detention should also apply to victims
of rape and sexual violence, to those with post-traumatic stress
disorder, to transsexual people and to those with learning
difficulties, and he rightly includes people who have
suffered Female
genital mutilation in those groups...
(Strangford) (DUP):...I
would like to know how, in the Government’s view, dignity and
respect have been upheld since the Prime Minister’s statement was
made just over two years ago. I understand that the recommendations
in part 4 of the Shaw report, which addressed the concept of
vulnerability, have largely been accepted by the Government.
However, there are examples, including the one outlined by the
right hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr Carmichael), that do
not show that acceptance in action. There was a recommendation that
the presumption against detention be extended to include victims of
rape and other sexual or gender-based violence,
including Female
genital mutilation, as well as people with a diagnosis
of PTSD or with mental health issues and, as other hon. Members
have mentioned, transsexual people and people with learning
disabilities. Those are clear and specific categories where there
are issues that need to be addressed...
Dr (East Kilbride, Strathaven and
Lesmahagow) (SNP):...It is recommended that the
presumption against detention be extended to include victims of
rape and sexual or gender-based violence, including FGM, people
with a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder, people with
learning disabilities and other vulnerable groups. As to the
exclusion of pregnant women, surely we must agree that their care
cannot possibly be managed adequately within detention. The Shaw
report also found that rule 35 of the detention centre rules,
designed as a key safeguard for victims of torture or those whose
health would be at risk from continued detention, failed to protect
vulnerable people in detention. The report highlighted a
fundamental lack of trust in medical staff and advised
consideration of independent GPs or professionals...
Ms (Hackney North and Stoke
Newington) (Lab):...Stephen Shaw was asked to report
on the detention of vulnerable persons, and he recommended a series
of exemptions for vulnerable immigration detainees, including, as
we have heard, for victims of rape and other sexual or gender-based
violence such as Female
genital mutilation; for those with a diagnosis of
post-traumatic stress disorder; for transsexual people; and for
those with learning difficulties. He also called for a presumptive
exclusion of pregnant women to be replaced by an absolute
exclusion, and for the words, “which cannot be satisfactorily
managed in detention” to be removed from the section of the
guidance covering those suffering from serious mental
illness...
The Minister for Immigration (Mr Robert
Goodwill):...Individuals are detained only if the
immigration considerations in their case outweigh the vulnerability
considerations. The policy recognises a broader range of
individuals as vulnerable than the previous policy, and we expect
the policy to have the greatest impact in the cases of individuals
who are most at risk, including—we heard some of these examples
during the debate—victims of sexual or gender-based violence such
as FGM, transsexual individuals, individuals suffering from
learning difficulties and individuals suffering from post-traumatic
stress disorder. All those groups are explicitly regarded as
vulnerable in the context of the policy, in line with Mr Shaw’s
recommendations...
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