Migrant Children's Project Newsletter August 2017 Follow us on Twitter If you have used our guidance and resources so far in 2017, please take two minutes to complete our short survey here. Trafficking This month, three men were jailed for running cannabis staffed by Vietnamese children. However, slavery charges against the three were dropped despite investigators’ certainty that four Vietnamese teenagers were discovered locked inside the site with no access to keys. It is crucial that professionals who come into contact with potentially trafficked children are aware of the indicators of trafficking and the legal processes that should be engaged to help children and young people who may have been victims. CCLC are running a one-off training session on how to support child victims of trafficking on 13 September - book online here. Legal aid Since 2013 legal aid has been severely restricted for immigration legal cases, and is now only available for very particular cases - or for individuals whose cases are granted exceptional funding. MCP has a fact sheet on exceptional legal aid and how to apply, here. The Children's Society has produced a new report this month on the need for legal aid for separated migrant children - 'Cut Off from Justice', and you can sign their petition calling for its reinstatement here. New fact sheet on children in care with immigration issues A child with an immigration issue may end up in care for the same reasons as any other child, such as family breakdown, for child protection reasons, or because they have been abandoned. Read the full fact sheet to find out what support is owed to these children and how to challenge a decision to provide less or no support. If you have queries about these or other issues, please contact our advice line on 0207 636 8505 or email mcpadvice@coramclc.org.uk. Our upcoming training courses Our courses can now be booked online - just visit our Eventbrite page! The registration of children as British citizens Coram Campus, London, £25 + VAT Wednesday 8 November, 4pm - 6:30pm An introduction to the rights of children and young people in the immigration system Coram Campus, London, FREE Friday 8 September, 2pm - 5:30pm [waiting list] Wednesday 22 November, 2-5:30pm Supporting EU national children in care Coram Campus, London, £35 + VAT Wednesday 20 September, 2pm - 5:30pm Access to education for migrant children Coram Campus, London, FREE Tuesday 3 October, 2pm - 5:30pm The rights and entitlements of young refugees and migrants Coram Campus, London, £70 + VAT Tuesday 19 September, 10am - 4:30pm Tuesday 14 November, 10am - 4:30pm Supporting undocumented and NRPF families Coram Campus, London, £70 + VAT Tuesday 10 October, 10am - 4:30pm Working with child victims of trafficking Coram Campus, London, £70 + VAT Wednesday 13 September 2017 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 Cut off from Justice: The impact of excluding separated and migrant children from legal aid The Children's Society, 17 August 2017 Briefing on the National Transfer Scheme Refugee Children's Consortium, August 2017 Afghanistan: Situation of young male 'Westernised' returnees to Kabul Asylos, August 2017 Latest news Man born and raised in UK told he is not a British citizen The Guardian, 29 August 2017 UK Home Office 'cannot be trusted', say EU citizens' rights groups The Guardian, 28 August 2017 Oxford-bound student from Wolverhampton faces deportation BBC News, 25 August 2017 'I don't feel welcome anymore': EU citizens explain why they are leaving the UK in their thousands The Independent, 24 August 2017 Theresa May under fire as student visa myth exposed The Guardian, 24 August 2017 Expert panel to assess impact of international students on UK jobs The Guardian, 24 August 2017 Brexit and relocating with children overseas – mind the immigration and family law gaps Legal Gazette, 23 August 2017 Unaccompanied children face battling immigration legal cases alone Huffington Post, 20 August 2017 Lone migrant children hit by Legal Aid cuts Children and Young People Now, 17 August 2017 Home Office backs down on nearly 13,000 immigration appeals in five years The National, 15 August 2017 We need a fairer immigration system for young people who have grown up in the UK Huffington Post, 13 August 2017 Three men jailed for running cannabis factory in ex-nuclear bunker The Guardian, 11 August 2017 Teargas, cold, no toilets: plight of refugees in Calais revealed The Guardian, 10 August 2017 Refugee children 'could be separated from their families after Brexit' The Guardian, 4 August 2017 Ray of hope for families kept apart by UK immigration enforcement politics.co.uk, 3 August 2017 How complex are the UK immigration rules and is this a problem? Free Movement, 1 August 2017 Calais welcomes refugees to a new type of jungle Financial Times, 1 August 2017 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. |