Migrant Children's Project Newsletter
April 2019
Follow us on Twitter
If you used our guidance and resources recently, please take two
minutes to help us improve them by completing our short survey here. Independent inspector finds Home Office should review their fees At the beginning of April a long-awaited independent review into Home Office fees was published. The review, conducted by the Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, was wide-ranging and included 12 recommendations for the Home Office. Coram Children's Legal Centre and Let us Learn jointly fed into the consultation to highlight the devastating impact of fees on long-resident migrant children, young people and families. We were glad to see these concerns reflected in the Chief Inspector's report, which recommended that the Home Office should: review routes to settlement, including assessing the negative effects on individuals and families of requiring repeated applications for leave, making decisions more quickly and tapering the fee, and review the fee waiver process, considering whether eligibility for fee waivers should be extended to cover all child leave to remain and nationality applications, and whether the burden of proof should be lowered. This report is a big milestone in the fight for fairer fees and an affordable, accessible immigration system - but the fight continues!
Young Citizens videos
Coram’s Young Citizens have launched six new videos with advice for young migrants and refugees who are new to the country. They share their experiences and top tips on a wide range of issues affecting young refugees and migrants in the UK. Youth rights trainer Michelle explains what to do if you are suffering from delays to the resolution of your immigration or asylum case, and there are also videos for new arrivals to the UK on opening a bank account, and getting into college.
EU settlement scheme - derivative rights cases From 1 May 2019, Zambrano carers (non-EEA national carers of British citizens with an EU-derived right to be in the UK) will be able to make applications under the EU settlement scheme. Although government guidance on these applications has not yet been published, CCLC has updated guidance on derivative rights, including Zambrano, in our new fact sheet here. If you have questions about families in the UK reliant on these kinds of rights, you can contact our email advice line on mcpadvice@coramclc.org.uk. See also our resources on the EU settlement scheme, EU nationals' existing rights in the UK, and supporting EU national children in care and care leavers. #CuppaWithCaroline Since her appointment as Immigration Minister, young campaigners Let us Learn have been trying to secure a meeting with Caroline Nokes. In March they presented her with an invitation to meet with them, which was signed by MPs, organisers & young people with a deadline of 31st March. Unfortunately, she has not yet responded to their request. Could you help them pile on the pressure? All you need to do is share a photo of yourself holding an image of the hashtag: #CuppaWithCaroline’, tagging @Let_us_learn on twitter.
Free online training for lawyers on working with children Are you a lawyer who regularly works with children? CCLC have collaborated with the University of Liverpool and other UK legal charities on project TALE to develop free online training on how to communicate and adapt legal processes to children’s needs and rights. Modules include: professional ethics of working with children, meeting with and taking instructions from children, and presenting the child's voice in formal proceedings. All free modules can be accessed here.
If you have queries about these or other issues, please contact our advice line at mcpadvice@coramclc.org.uk.
Our upcoming training courses Our courses can all be booked online - just visit our Eventbrite page! An introduction to the rights of children and young people in the immigration system
Coram Campus, London Thursday 27 June 2019, 2pm - 5pm Access to education for migrant children
Coram Campus, London Thursday 16 May 2019, 2pm - 5pm The rights and entitlements of young refugees and migrants Coram Campus, London Thursday 6 June 2019, 10:30am - 4pm For more information and to book, please see our eventbrite page. To commission in-house training for your organisation, please see our website. New reports and guidance Inspection Report Published: An inspection of the policies and practices of the Home Office’s Borders, Immigration and Citizenship Systems relating to charging and fees
Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, April 2019
Modern Slavery Act 2015 review: third interim report
Home Office, April 2019
EU derivative rights: Zambrano, Ibrahim, Teixeira and Chen
CCLC fact sheet, April 2019
Latest news Home Office chaos and incompetence lead to unlawful detentions, claim whistleblowers
The Guardian, 28 April 2019
‘Unseen teens’ need targeted and coordinated support
The Observer, 28 April 2019
‘You feel sick, exhausted’: why children in extreme poverty are being denied free school meals
Huffington Post, 25 April 2019
Number of fresh asylum claims plunge after Home Office insists they must travel hundreds of miles to do so
The Independent, 22 April 2019
Surge in child refugees in Calais as conditions reach ‘breaking point’
The Independent, 20 April 2019
Upfront fees 'deterring immigrants from seeking NHS care'
The Guardian, 18 April 2019
Brexit may leave thousands of children undocumented
The Times, 17 April 2019
Brexit: Home Office sorry for EU citizen data breach
BBC News, 11 April 2019
Up to 200,000 children at risk of being made ‘illegal’ after Brexit
The Metro, 10 April 2019
Government criticised for foot-dragging over harsh child citizenship policy
Free Movement, 8 April 2019
Charities demand review after report on 'exorbitant' immigration fees
Sky News, 5 April 2019 More than 70% of UK immigration fee waiver requests by destitute are rejected
The Guardian, 4 April 2019
Home Office makes £2m a month from child citizenship fees as parents driven into debt
The Independent, 4 April 2019
Unfair citizenship charges for children are damaging Britain’s reputation
The Guardian, 4 April 2019 Let us know what you think! Do you use our website, publications or advice line? Your thoughts and feedback help us ensure that we're providing the right information and support. Please take two minutes to complete our short survey.
You can read our privacy policy here. If you have any questions or concerns about your data, you can contact us on mcp@coramclc.org.uk. |
