Children’s Commissioners seek assurances for children’s safety post-Brexit

The Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children & Young People today issued a joint letter, with the Children’s Commissioners from England, Scotland and Wales, outlining a number of immediate threats to Children’s Rights and Safety post-Brexit.

The Commissioners are seeking assurances from the Department for Exiting the European Union that Children will be adequately protected under both potential outcomes i.e. a ‘deal’ or ‘no-deal’.

Koulla Yiasouma, NI Commissioner for Children & Young People said: “I have repeatedly asked the UK Government to ensure that Children’s rights are fully considered during the withdrawal process. Through our all-island Young People’s Conference Report and our Brexit position paper, we highlighted the potential areas of negative impact of UK withdrawal on Northern Ireland’s Children and their rights including access to services.

“My concerns are felt equally by my counterparts across the UK and with only a matter of weeks to go until the UK is set to leave the EU, we are seeking clarity as to how the UK Government intends to address what we consider to be immediate threats to children’s rights, safety and standards of living.

“These include but are not limited to child protection, security and law enforcement, family law matters and criminal record vetting services. We need to ensure that strong child protection and safeguarding protocols, including information-sharing across countries, are in place and are adequate – both under a Withdrawal Agreement and in the event of ‘No-Deal.’”

ENDS

Notes to editors

• You can read the letter here. 

NICCY’s Brexit Reports:

• UK Withdrawal from the EU, An overview of the potential impact on Children in Northern Ireland (July 2018)
• It’s Our Brexit Too: Children’s Rights, Children’s Voices Conference Report (November 2018)

For more information:

• Please contact the Communications Team at NICCY on (028) 9031 1616, 07917 544 177 or email Communications@NICCY.org