Migrant Children's Project Newsletter
January 2019
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If you used our guidance and resources in 2018, please take two
minutes to help us improve them by completing our short survey here. EU settlement scheme: public test phase and fee scrapped Following a test phase including vulnerable people at the end of 2018, the Home Office opened the settlement scheme for EU nationals prior to Brexit for a 'public test phase' on 21 January 2019. The scheme does not open fully until 30 March 2019. In a major victory for campaigners, the government also announced that it was scrapping the £65 fee for EU nationals to apply under the scheme (£32.50 for children under the age of 16). Potential applicants should note that some of the feedback from earlier test phases will not be implemented during the public test phase. Those making an application under the public test will also have to pay a fee in the interim which will be reimbursed later. The scheme will remain open until at least 31 December 2020. For more information on residence rights of EU citizens following Brexit, see our fact sheet on EEA rights after the EU referendum, and our information page, available here.
'No deal' planning: In a separate announcement about EU nationals' rights in the event of a 'no deal' exit from the EU, the Home Secretary announced that EU nationals would still be able to enter the UK without a visa for a period of three months. Beyond that, the government would expect EU and Swiss nationals to apply for a new form of status to remain in the UK called 'European Temporary Leave to Remain'.
Changes to the MCP advice line
From February 2019 the MCP's free legal advice service for migrant and refugee children, young people, families and those supporting them is becoming digital only. Email mcpadvice@coramclc.org.uk and a solicitor will respond as quickly as possible to give some legal information about your case. You might also find an answer to your questions in our resources and fact sheets, available here.
Ola web comic from PosNeg
Have you been keeping up with Ola's story? A new online comic from PosNeg follows Ola, a teenage aspiring doctor who lives in South London - who is also undocumented. With incredible artwork and a story that is not often told, the comic already has a cult following. So if you haven't read and shared it already, there's still time to catch up with episodes 1-6 here!
Change to guidance on asylum claims for children transferred from Calais
Just before Christmas the Home Office announced that it would be scrapping the arbitrary "cut-off date" for asylum-seeking children to be eligible to be transferred to the UK under the 'Dubs amendment' to the Immigration Act 2016 (section 67) to have their asylum claims decided here. The date cut-off previously meant unaccompanied children who had arrived in Europe after 18 January 2018 were be eligible. Countries able to transfer children to the UK under these provisions are France, Italy and Greece, though the vast majority of transfers so far have come from France. Although the Home Office guidance on section 67 has not yet been amended, the Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes issued a statement in Parliament to announce the change. The number of children to be transferred under section 67 remains capped at 480. You can read more about claiming asylum in the UK as a child in our fact sheet, here.
If you have queries about these or other issues, please contact our advice line at mcpadvice@coramclc.org.uk.
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.
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 21 February 2019, 2pm-5pm 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 Wednesday 17 April 2019, 10:30am-4pm (available to book soon) Supporting undocumented and NRPF families Coram Campus, London Wednesday 27 March 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 European Temporary Leave to Remain in the UK
Home Office guidance, published 28 January 2019
Nationality: good character requirement guidance
Home Office guidance, amended January 2019
Latest news
Home Office tracks debit card use to ‘spy’ on asylum seekers
The Times, 27 January 2019
The Home Office is being sued over delays in unaccompanied child asylum-seekers’ cases
Buzzfeed News, 25 January 2019
Home Office put eight-month-old baby with British citizenship in immigration detention centre
Freemovement, 17 January 2019
Brexit: Theresa May scraps £65 fee for EU citizens to stay in UK
BBC News, 21 January 2019
Revised UK child citizenship character test 'still poor'
The Guardian, 15 January 2019
Schools census used to enforce immigration laws, minister says
The Observer, 13 January 2019
Home Office doubles charge for migrants to use the NHS
Sky News, 8 January 2019
Hundreds more child refugees now eligible to enter UK after Home Office scraps 'arbitrary' restrictions
The Independent, 20 December 2018
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