New research suggests that more than 100,000 children are living in London without secure immigration status
According to a study commissioned by London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan and undertaken by the University of Wolverhampton, more than half of the UK’s estimated 674,000 undocumented adults and children live in London including around 107,000 undocumented children and 26,000 young adults between the ages of 18 and 24. The study suggests that the population of undocumented migrant children has grown by 56% between March 2011 and March 2017 and it is estimated that since 2012, only 10% of families with undocumented children in the UK have applied to secure their immigration status.
These numbers include children who may have arrived in the UK with proper documentation but stayed beyond their permitted time, those who entered without proper documentation, trafficked children, unaccompanied minors whose temporary leave to remain was withdrawn once they reached adulthood and young people born to parents who are themselves undocumented.
It is estimated that more than half of the undocumented children were born in the UK. These children may face problems accessing higher education, health care, financial and other social services, housing and jobs. Also of concern is the fact that once an undocumented child reaches the age of majority, they may face the threat of deportation.
The research also found that the number of undocumented young people could rise if the estimated 350,000 minor European nationals resident in the UK do not to apply to remain in the UK under the EU Settlement Scheme.
“UK citizenship and immigration policy is failing a significant number of children who have grown up in the UK. These children are growing up in limbo instead of being legal citizens in the country they call home. No citizenship and immigration system can succeed if it excludes this many of the country’s children and teenagers from legal status.”
Kamena Dorling, head of policy for Coram children’s charity
Difficulties in obtaining reliable data mean the figures mentioned in the report are conservative estimates. Researchers based their findings on data obtained outside formal systems and on previous research.
The report highlights the high cost of regularising immigration status and the difficulties faced by persons trying to redress omissions which often include navigating a complex application process, failing to have the right or any supporting documentation, misinformation and a general lack of awareness as to how the system operates, a lack of resources to assist such as an inability to access legal aid, and the high cost of application fees.
The findings and figures quoted in the report were not accepted by the Home Office where a spokesman noted that there are a range of routes available for people of all ages, including children who have lived in the UK for most of their lives, to regularise their status. The notion that the number of undocumented children and young people will rise once the UK leaves the EU was also disabused.
