Last updated: 24 february, 2010 - 11:22 GMT

Gordon Brown apologises to child migrants

Tony Costa

Tony Costa says as a young child migrant he cried himself to sleep on many occasions

The British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown has formally apologised for the country's part in sending 130,000 children to former colonies under a controversial migrant programme that ended forty years ago.

Many of the children were taken from their families and sent to Australia, Canada and other Commonwealth countries where they suffered physical and emotional abuse in orphanages, foster homes or as labourers on farms.

A number of the former child migrants travelled to parliament in London to listen to Mr Brown's apology.

The BBC's Julian Marshall has been to meet one of them.

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First broadcast 23 February 2010

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