The British government will be apologizing to the families of thousands of poor children who were shipped to Canada and Australia, where many were used as forced labourers and abused, according to an announcement Sunday that is being met with celebration.
Between 1869 and 1948, more than 100,000 children were sent from Britain to Canada, while thousands more were sent to Australia and other former colonies of the British Empire, as part of the Child Migrants Program. The children, often taken without the knowledge of their parents under a government-sanctioned program, were promised a better life but many were abused or forced into labour against their wishes. Some children were told their parents were dead.
The majority of the children were sent to Canada because it was cheaper than sending them to Australia. Many Canadians wanted the children to work on their farms, said Sidney Baker, 76, who's with Home Children Canada, which is an organization that has helped the victims find out where they came from. According to the organization, more than 10,000 records were deliberately falsified.
Baker said the apology, though long overdue, is welcomed by the surviving migrant children and their families.
"I think it is fantastic. It has taken them so many years," said Baker.
The British government will be apologizing to the families of thousands of poor children who were shipped to Canada and Australia, where many were used as forced labourers and abused, according to an announcement Sunday that is being met with celebration.
Post a Comment