Child Migrant Apology, 24 February 2010, courtesy of Downing St, YouTube.
Details
On 24 February 2010, the British Government apologised to former child migrants from Britain who had been sent 'to the colonies' as children. Many children were sent to Western Australia and some of them were funded by the British Government to go to London and hear the Prime Minister's statement in person.
In his statement to the House of Commons, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said:
We are sorry that they were allowed to be sent away at the time they were most vulnerable. We are sorry that instead of caring for them, this country turned its back, and we are sorry that the voices of these children were not always heard and their cries for help not always heeded. We are sorry that it has taken so long for this important day to come, and for the full and unconditional apology that is justly deserved to be given.
Sources used to compile this entry: Prime Minister's Statement: Child Migration, House of Commons Hansard 24 Feb 2010, Parliament of the United Kingdom, 24 February 2010, https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2010-02-24/debates/10022460000003/ChildMigration.
Prepared by: Debra Rosser
Created: 6 August 2012, Last modified: 24 February 2015
Last updated: 17 October 2023
Cite this: https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/ref/wa/biogs/WE00713b.htm
First published by the Find & Connect Web Resource Project for the Commonwealth of Australia, 2011
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