Over 650 children have been locked up in immigration detention since the coalition government promised to stop imprisoning children for immigration purposes in 2010.

An investigation by Children and Young People Now magazine has revealed that since the Government’s pledge was made, 664 children have been detained.

It is likely that the true number of children in detention is even higher, as an unknown number of young people find themselves behind bars after wrongly being thought to be an adult by immigration officials.

Refugee Council Policy Manager Judith Dennis said:

“In 2010, the coalition government promised some of the most vulnerable children in Britain that they would no longer be detained for immigration purposes.

“Today’s figures prove that promise has been broken 668 times. It’s unacceptable that our government has continued to arbitrarily lock children up, even though it knows it causes them harm. The next government must urgently ensure that children are never again imprisoned for political or administrative convenience.”