SOCIAL WORK ACTION NETWORK AND SOCIAL WORKERS WITHOUT BORDERS CONDEMNS THE ABUSIVE AND BARBARIC TREATMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES SEPARATED WHEN SEEKING ASYLUM, BY THE USA GOVERNMENT.
Social Work Action Network and Social Work Without Borders strongly condemn the barbaric treatment of families seeking asylum in the United States of America – treatment which involves the government inflicting trauma upon children by forcibly removing them from their caregivers and accommodating them in completely inappropriate conditions. The long lasting impact of such experiences are horrific for children and well documented.
Our international profession expects us to identify the needs of those experiencing adversity, to promote the safety and health of all, and crucially to stand shoulder to shoulder with the relatively powerless in having their voices heard and needs met. The international definition of social work demands that we defend social justice. We cannot remain silent as children and families are brutalised by globalised policies that have done so much to promote the social and economic inequality that creates their plight. As social workers, we are appalled by the abusive behaviour carried out by the US government against those seeking safety and a better life, and reject the arguments that suggest migrants are trying to take advantage of welfare opportunities.
We call on the Trump Administration to ensure that the families affected by this inhumane policy are treated in a dignified manner and their rights respected. The international community should not relent its pressure on the US government to change its immigration policy.
We stand in Solidarity with the National Association of Social Workers, and call upon the Trump Administration to ensure it acts in every conceivable way to reunite every child with their families as soon as possible.
To the children detained in camps in America, please know that we have not abandoned you. We are shouting loudly for your immediate release and reunification with those who care for you.
To those working with the families and children impacted by this appalling policy, we stand in solidarity with you. Thank you for your empathy and commitment to social justice. We will continue to highlight your fight internationally, as social workers united by a professional commitment to equality and collective responsibility.
Whilst the focus currently is upon the US, we remain vocal critics of UK policies around immigration. We welcome continued scrutiny of the role social workers are expected to play in border control, and support campaigns promoting the rights of migrants.
For further information on how to support those migrants affected in America please see:
