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UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown - Source: Reuters -
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British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is preparing an apology for thousands of children shipped off to New Zealand and other Commonwealth countries last century.
Under the child migrants programme many poor children were sent
to Commonwealth countries with promises of a better life.Many were
separated from their families and often wrongly told they were
orphaned and so were being sent off to a "better life"
overseas.
However, thousands ended up in institutions or were forced to work
as farm labourers.
The BBC reported on Sunday that Brown wanted to apologise for
the programme.
"Mr Brown has asked officials to consult with survivors of the
child migrants program, so that a statement can be made in the new
year," the BBC's website reported. .
British government records show at least 150,000 child migrants
aged between three and 14 were sent to Commonwealth countries until
the programme ended in 1967.
The programme has been described as "one of the most disgraceful
episodes in postwar politics".
Brown's moves towards an apology comes after he wrote to the
chairman of the British parliament's health select committee this
weekend, saying "the time is now right" for the government to
apologise to the child migrants.
"It is important that we take the time to listen to the voices of
the survivors and victims of these misguided policies," Brown
wrote.
The committee's chairman, Kevin Barron, who headed an inquiry into
what happened to child migrants, told the BBC he was "very pleased"
by Brown's letter.
"After consultation with organisations directly involved with child
migrants we are going to make an apology early in the new year," he
said.
Australian apology
Details of Brown's plan were revealed on the eve of Prime
Minister Kevin Rudd's apology to the half a million "forgotten"
child migrants sent to Australia from the 1920s until the late
1960s, many of whom were mistreated in orphanages and
institutions.
About 900 child migrant survivors are expected at Parliament House
in Canberra on Monday to hear Rudd's formal apology to those who
suffered years of neglect and abuse while in state care.
He will deliver a national apology to the "Forgotten Australians"
and recognise the mistreatment and continuing suffering of about
500,000 people held in orphanages or children's homes between 1930
and 1970.
The national apology will be combined with another to the 7,000
child migrants from Britain who live still in Australia.
