Letter to Child Migrants Trust

24/10/2018

Following the recommendations made in IICSA’s investigation report into child migration programmes, published in March 2018, the National Safeguarding Team is now in dialogue with, on behalf of the Church of England, the Child Migrants Trust, an independent charity which supports child migrants and their families nationally and internationally. We await the UK government’s response to the IICSA’s recommendations.

CEACES was the Church of England body which facilitated the migration of children to Anglican dioceses in Australia and Tasmania, although it did not manage any childcare institutions. Its work came to an end long ago.

Following IICSA’s public hearing into child migration in 2017 the Church of England made an unreserved apology to former child migrants and their families, for the part played by CEACES in supporting the Government’s migration programme. To date the Church has received no disclosure of abuse from anyone who was migrated as part of the work of CEACES but it is hoped that through the Child Migrants Trust anyone who has been affected by this scheme can be contacted and then offered appropriate support and a personal apology.

The Church of England repeats its apology for its involvement, through CEACES, in supporting the Government’s migration programme and anyone who has been affected by child migration can also contact the National Safeguarding Team at [email protected].