The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Theresa May condemns US approach to child migrants
PM disturbed by images of children in ‘what appear to be cages’
Theresa May condemned the US President’s approach to child migrants as “wrong” before facing calls to end her own “hostile” immigration rules.
The prime minster criticised Donald Trump’s domestic policy, three weeks before he is due to visit the UK.
Mrs May said the “special” relationship with America involved speaking out “when we disagree with what they are doing”.
She spoke out just hours before Mr Trump pledged to sign an executive order to end the practice of separating migrant children from their families at the southern border.
The news has been dominated by images of children held in cages at border facilities, as well as audio recordings of youngsters crying for their parents.
More than 2,300 minors have been separated from their families since the start of May.
At Prime Minister’s Questions, Mrs May said: “The pictures of children being held in what appear to be cages are deeply disturbing.
“This is wrong, this is not something that we agree with. This is not the United Kingdom’s approach. Indeed, when I was home secretary, I ended the routine detention of families with children.”
Ian Blackford, the SNP’s leader in Westminster, said the sentiment behind her condemnation was not in keeping with her own immigration policy.
“On the issue of immigration, while the US administration call it a zerotolerance policy, the prime minister calls it a hostile environment,” he said.
Speaking after PMQs, he added: “We know this UK Government detains children in detention centres here in the UK, and the UK is the only EU country to detain people indefinitely.
“We need for a move away from routine use of immigration detention to instead make it a rare exception, rather than almost the norm.”
Ed Miliband, the former Labour leader, urged Mrs May in the chamber to go further by leading an international coalition promoting tolerance and diversity.
“It is good that the prime minister said that President Trump’s policy is wrong, but I want her to do more, and I think that the House wants her to do more,” he said.
“What is she going to do pro-actively to defend those values?”