Published Date: 16 December 2009

Mr Woolas said the "horrible reality" of the modern world was that failed asylum-seekers and their families needed to be kept under lock and key to deter the trade in human traffic.

Not to do so, he warned, would only encourage traffickers, sending a signal that the UK was a soft touch on immigration.

Mr Woolas was speaking in the wake of the controversy over the case of Precious Mhango, aged ten, a Malawian girl who has lived in Scotland most of her life, but is now detained after being presented with removal papers.

She and her mother have lived in Glasgow for seven years, but have been told there is no compelling reason for them to remain in the UK. They are being kept behind bars to prevent them absconding.

Recent figures showed that 109 children had been detained at Dungavel detention centre over the past year, prior to being sent back to their country of origin.

Last night, the Scottish Government - which opposes the detention of children - said Mr Woolas should stop "lecturing" them about their plans to try to increase immigration into Scotland.

Speaking after visiting the centre yesterday, Mr Woolas said SNP moves to plug the skills gap in Scotland by boosting immigration were "naive and full of kidology", saying the Holyrood government's focus should be on improving the skills of the Scottish-based workforce.

He also said that if Scots were concerned about the fate of immigrants coming to the UK, more Scottish local authorities should offer to house asylum-seekers. Glasgow is currently the only major local authority which houses asylum-seekers while their applications are heard.

Asked about the detention of children and families, Mr Woolas said that failed asylum-seekers were housed at secure centres because of past experience that showed they absconded if left in the community.

He said: "Not to do so (use the detention centres] would result in more suffering and the asylum system lacking credibility. More suffering, more trafficking. It ends up with dead bodies in lorries in Calais. That is the horrible reality of modern life."

Mr Woolas said closure of the centre would be immediately noticed by traffickers looking to tempt people to enter Britain. The Scottish Government opposes the housing of children in Dungavel, but Mr Woolas said SNP ministers had to take account of the consequences of such a stance.

Mr Woolas also spoke about Precious, whose case was highlighted by The Scotsman last month.

Having lived in Glasgow since the age of three, she is currently being housed at the Yarl's Wood immigration centre in Bedfordshire. She was taken off a flight heading for Malawi in November as it sat on the runway at Heath-row, following a last-minute appeal for her to stay in the UK.

At the UK Immigration and Borders Office in Glasgow yesterday, Mr Woolas was greeted by a small group of protesters calling for her to be allowed to stay.

Mr Woolas said: "We have looked at this case and we are looking at this case. People say, 'Why are you deporting them when it is a nice family?'. But that's the law."

He also said he agreed that there would be less concern for the fate of asylum-seekers in Scotland among politicians, if - as in other parts of the UK - there were more immigrants.

"If the concern is there then I would ask that more local authorities would take it up."

A spokesman for external affairs minister Fiona Hyslop said: "Scotland needs an immigration system that reflects our distinct skills needs, and our policies are designed to give the country's economy the competitive edge we need.""