Minister's U-turn on migrant children

The Government has been shamed into a U-turn on its treatment of migrant children. It had been due to face censure at a UN meeting for its policy of locking minors in detention centres. Tomorrow ministers will announce plans to grant the children of immigrants the same human rights as those born in the UK.

When the Government first signed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991, it retained the right to give controlling immigration precedence over the rights of children. Now, after mounting pressure from human rights activists and the UN, the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, is to announce the decision to scrap the opt-out. She said: "We want every child to be as safe and secure as possible. While the lifting of the immigration reservation does not mean that every child who comes to the UK will be entitled to remain, it does signal our commitment to treat children in the UK immigration system with compassion."

Ms Smith said the Government had transformed its policy on children, and even legislated to impose a duty on the UK Border Agency to keep children safe from harm.

Sources close to the UN had said that the Government was due to face strong criticism this week over its treatment of migrant children.