Child Migrants flown back to Britain for Apology


Three New Zealanders who left Britain after the war as part of the Child Migrant scheme are returning to London to take part in a public apology next week.

The trio are Mrs Trish Pawsey of Ashburton, Mrs Pat Brown of Nelson and Mr John McGory of Dunedin.

They will be flown to Britain as guests of the British Government this coming weekend .

The apology, by the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, will be made to the thousands of often homeless British children that were sent to Australia , Canada , Zimbabwe (Southern Rhodesia), South Africa and New Zealand after the war.

In New Zealand’s case over 540 children were brought to this country in the years after 1948 where they were monitored by the Social Welfare agencies. In Australia over 7,000 children were brought into the country and many have since complained of abuse.

The British Government will continue to fund the Child Migrants’ Trust operations around the world so they can continue their work reuniting former child migrants with their families .

ENDS