Migration Help
14th November 2009, 09:14 PM
Saturday, November 14, 2009, 07:00
THE Australian Prime Minister is to apologise to thousands of child migrants whose plight was revealed by a Notts social worker.
Aussie Premier Kevin Rudd will say sorry to those who were deported from Britain to Australia without the knowledge or consent of their parents.
Margaret Humphreys, a former social worker at Notts County Council, exposed the scandal after she was contacted by a migrant trying to trace her parents in the 1980s.
Many migrants, who were sent to bolster the white population in Australia, suffered horrendous abuse and lost their families and true identities forever.
However, Mrs Humphreys, who is described today as a "modern Florence Nightingale", founded the Child Migrants' Trust in West Bridgford in 1987.
Since then she has helped hundreds of people find their families and maintained pressure on the Australian and British governments to apologise for their roles in these events.
After years of campaigning, Mrs Humphreys will take her place in the Australian Parliament on Monday, to hear Mr Rudd's apology.
Harold Haig, of the International Association of Former Child Migrants, said: "There are not enough words to describe what a fantastic job Margaret has done over 22 years."
John Hennessey, 72, a former child migrant from Sydney, said: "I class Margaret as my second mother.
"Without her I would never have met my mum. She is the modern Florence Nightingale with the torch looking for people."
SOURCE: This is Nottingham (http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/homenews/Notts-social-worker-forces-Aussie-apology/article-1514689-detail/article.html)
THE Australian Prime Minister is to apologise to thousands of child migrants whose plight was revealed by a Notts social worker.
Aussie Premier Kevin Rudd will say sorry to those who were deported from Britain to Australia without the knowledge or consent of their parents.
Margaret Humphreys, a former social worker at Notts County Council, exposed the scandal after she was contacted by a migrant trying to trace her parents in the 1980s.
Many migrants, who were sent to bolster the white population in Australia, suffered horrendous abuse and lost their families and true identities forever.
However, Mrs Humphreys, who is described today as a "modern Florence Nightingale", founded the Child Migrants' Trust in West Bridgford in 1987.
Since then she has helped hundreds of people find their families and maintained pressure on the Australian and British governments to apologise for their roles in these events.
After years of campaigning, Mrs Humphreys will take her place in the Australian Parliament on Monday, to hear Mr Rudd's apology.
Harold Haig, of the International Association of Former Child Migrants, said: "There are not enough words to describe what a fantastic job Margaret has done over 22 years."
John Hennessey, 72, a former child migrant from Sydney, said: "I class Margaret as my second mother.
"Without her I would never have met my mum. She is the modern Florence Nightingale with the torch looking for people."
SOURCE: This is Nottingham (http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/homenews/Notts-social-worker-forces-Aussie-apology/article-1514689-detail/article.html)