The US immigrant scandal shows children urgently need protection from the State by Suranya Aiyar

The scandal over immigrant children in the USA is part of much deeper problem of over-broad and poorly regulated powers of seizure and custody of children given to state agencies in Western countries. The US government has responded to the migrant children situation by piggy-backing on a system already in place of easy child confiscation by state agencies that is wide open to abuse.

Recommended Reading: Article in Washington Post on How US Child Protection Laws and Policies Victimise Low Income Families

“Children at risk of physical and sexual abuse require swift intervention. Yet more reporting may actually contribute to making children less safe. A flood of reports from laypeople, which are less likely to be accurate (and are often focused on social issues tied to poverty, rather than actual abuse), thins out already underfunded resources, while turning the attention of caseworkers away from children who need immediate intervention.”