Boy's detention raised in Commons

The Gayes were removed from their home in Sighthill on Thursday

The case of a four-year-old boy held at the Dungavel detention centre in Lanarkshire has been raised in the House of Commons.

Glasgow SNP MP John Mason asked the immigration minister, Phil Woolas, why Arouna Gaye, who has medical problems, had been "imprisoned" there.

He and his mother, Fatou Felicite Gaye, 38, were removed from their home in Glasgow in a dawn raid last Thursday.

Their case has prompted anger among asylum campaigners and politicians.

Their removal to Dungavel came days after measures aimed at ending the detention of children at the controversial centre were announced.

Ms Gaye is from the Ivory Coast but her son was born in the UK.

It is understood she had an application rejected in 2005 and has since had five appeals refused.

It is regrettable that on some occasions, people who have not cooperated with the decision of the independent tribunals and courts who otherwise would abscond in their view, do face detention Phil Woolas Immigration minister

Mr Woolas said he could not discuss the case in detail.

He added: "On the general policy of detaining children, that is of course a last resort and we have indeed the programmes to look at alternatives.

"But it is regrettable that on some occasions, people who have not co-operated with the decision of the independent tribunals and courts who otherwise would abscond in their view, do face detention."

Speaking after raising the matter at Home Office Question Time in the Commons, Mr Mason said: "There is no excuse for the UK Government's actions concerning Fatou Felicite Gaye and her son Arouna.

"This four-year-old has already been treated for post-traumatic stress disorder caused by previous interaction with the Border Agency.

"The UK Government are detaining a child born in Scotland in an immigration centre that is not fit for children."

Pilot project

The mother and son had been due to be deported from the country on Monday.

However, a spokesman for the Unity Centre, which offers advice and aid to asylum seekers and refugees in Glasgow, said their flight had been cancelled at the last minute.

He also claimed that the family were detained before their case was officially refused.

He added: "The official letter giving grounds for why Fatou's case should be refused is unusually dated by hand as being written on 14 May 2009, the same day that Fatou was detained at 0645 BST.

"Therefore Fatou and Arouna have not been given any opportunity to return following the refusal of their case."

A pilot project due to launch in June will see failed asylum seekers housed in former council flats in Glasgow before they return to their own countries.