• Policy questions after figures say 470 minors detained
• Post-traumatic stress common in those released
Ministers were facing accusations today that hundreds of children are being held unnecessarily in immigration detention centres as official figures revealed, for the first time, that 470 minors were being detained with their families.
The figures, made public following pressure from children's rights groups and MPs, showed most were under five.
Many were from troubled countries such as Zimbabwe, Sudan, Sri Lanka and Democratic Republic of Congo.
The UK has one of the worst records in Europe for detaining children, but accurate figures on how many are held, or for how long, have remained elusive.
