Migrant Children's Project Newsletter June 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. Children's asylum claims face long delays This week the BBC reported that hundreds of children have waited years for the asylum claim to be decided by the Home Office - and that this number has tripled since 2014. Delays can be devastating for children's mental health, and can have a serious impact on their ability to build stable, happy lives in the UK. Read about how children's asylum claims are processed in the UK and how you can support children going through this process in our fact sheets here. And hear from Youth Rights Trainer Michelle on how young people can manage Home Office delays through a quick and friendly video, here. Damning Home Office report into the Windrush scandal leaked A Home Office commissioned independent review into the Windrush Scandal has been leaked, and seen by Channel 4 News and The Guardian newspaper. The document, which may have been leaked because the Home Office had no plans to publish it, is reported to contain a damning indictment of the culture, practices and management of the Home Office, accusing officials of recklessness and a reluctance to acknowledge and learn from their mistakes. Young people who have grown up in the UK after coming here as children still face the full force of the 'hostile environment' - support the We Belong campaign today. MPs inquiry calls for better legal protections for EU children The Home Affairs Committee has published a report on the EU settlement scheme in which it calls for better legal protection for applicants, especially vulnerable people like children. Coram Children’s Legal Centre gave oral and written evidence to the inquiry, and published a report on the barriers for child applicants and outlining our recommendations earlier this year. Some children and young people, including looked after children and care leavers, are particularly at risk of losing their rights in the UK after Brexit. Read our fact sheet on supporting them to access the EU settlement scheme here. If you are supporting a vulnerable EU national child or young person, you can email the MCP advice service for legal advice and assistance at: [email protected]. If you have queries about these or other issues, please contact our advice line at [email protected]. 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 Tuesday, 26 November 2019, 2pm - 5pm Access to education for migrant children Coram Campus, London Thursday 17 October 2019, 2pm - 5pm The rights and entitlements of young refugees and migrants Coram Campus, London Wednesday, 9 October 2019, 10am - 4:30pm 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 Access Denied: The cost of the ‘no recourse to public funds’ policy The Unity Project, June 2019 Unaccompanied asylum seeking children and leaving care: funding instructions Home Office, June 2019 EU Settlement Scheme House of Commons Home Affairs Committee, May 2019 Latest news Hundreds of children wait years for asylum decisions BBC News, 27 June 2019 Afghanistan refugee Hamid: “I’m a Londoner now” The Big Issue, 25 June 2019 Scrap upfront NHS charges for migrants, says BMA The Guardian, 25 June 2019 UK accused of profiteering on Syrians' child citizenship fees The Guardian, 19 June 2019 Private firms raking in millions as people forced to pay ‘extortionate’ fees to apply for UK status The Independent, 16 June 2019 Record number of EU citizens applying for a British passport The Times, 8 June 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 [email protected]. |