Migrant Children's Project Newsletter
April 2020
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If you used our guidance and resources recently, please take two
minutes to help us improve them by completing our short survey here. Covid-19
Covid-19 has had a profound impact on many migrant and refugee children, young people and families. Below is a (non-exhaustive) round-up of some of the information, resources and opportunities to help. Information Health information on covid-19 in 49 different languages: from Doctors of the World, available here. Free school meals: see Project 17's information page, including an information sheet for families and a template letter here. Asylum: the Refugee Council has put together an evolving list of changes to the UK's asylum and resettlement processes/practices resulting from covid-19, here. Asylum support: see the Asylum Support Appeals Project here. Families with no recourse to public funds: see the NRPF network's collated information here. Students, universities and colleges: see UKCISA's information pages here. Visa extensions for some frontline health and care workers: see the gov.uk pages here How to help / get involved Survey for front-line workers
The Children’s Society’s Coordinated Crisis Support Programme has created a survey for professionals working to provide emergency financial provision, and other emergency support to those facing destitution, to highlight issues arising in the response to Covid-19. The form is here.
Laptops for disadvantaged children and young people The Department for Education has announced that it will provide laptops and internet access for disadvantaged families, children and young people who do no currently have access to them. Eligible people are: care leavers, children and young people aged 0 to 19 with a social worker, and disadvantaged year 10 pupils. Further details can be found here.
Immigration detention
Use this tool from Bail for Immigration Detainees to write to your MP to ask for immigration detainees to be released during the pandemic
Access to benefits
Email your MP about giving everyone access to the benefits safety net during this pandemic, regardless of immigration status, using this tool from The Children's Society
Mutual aid
JCWI, Migrants Organise, and Medact have put together a short guide for Mutual Aid groups to consider how best to support at-risk migrants, which is available here on Google Docs.
If you have queries about these or other issues, please contact our advice line at mcpadvice@coramclc.org.uk.
New webinar series To register your interest in any of the courses below please email us at mcp@coramclc.org.uk and we will contact you first when dates have been set. Child trafficking and modern slavery, Wednesday 3rd June 2020 TICKETS AVAILABLE Areas covered will include how to identify, support and protect potential victims of child trafficking in practice; an overview of the legal framework and the National Referral Mechanism; and the relationship between trafficking and the asylum process. Refugee and migrant children in care, Date TBC ON SALE SOON This webinar will look at the general principles and local authority duties towards children in care with immigration issues. Participants will also gain an understanding of planning, education and access to services, as well as information on immigration, asylum and EU routes to regularising status. Finally, we will cover leaving care support and options for undocumented and appeal rights exhausted young people leaving care. Children’s asylum claims, Date TBC ON SALE SOON This webinar provides an introduction to the asylum process for unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC). The course content includes looking at the particular processes for children, how to support children through the asylum process and different types of immigration status that can be granted. The course will also briefly cover appeal rights and appeal rights exhausted cases. Age assessments, Date TBC ON SALE SOON This webinar will examine the issue of age and the context surrounding age assessments in the UK. Participants will gain an understanding of the law and policy of age assessments;
best practice when either supporting or carrying out assessments; and information on challenges to age assessment decisions. Finally, we will also look at the impact of age assessments on the asylum process.
Our training programme Our existing training programme has moved online for the time being. The course below can still be booked via our eventbrite page. Joining instructions will be sent close to the date of training delivery. The rights and entitlements of young refugees and migrants [ONLINE] Wednesday 20th May 2020 – 10.00am - 4.00pm You can also still commission bespoke online training for your staff. See our training guide 2020 or contact stewart.maclachlan@coramclc.org.uk for more information. New reports and guidance
Urgent call for the UK Government to protect and safeguard survivors of Modern Slavery who have insecure immigration status
Helen Bamber Foundation, April 2020
A majority of the British public supports giving permanent residency to frontline health workers
Mollie Gerver, Patrick Lown and Dominik Duell, London School of Economics
EU Settlement Scheme and Looked After Children and Care Leavers. Policy Briefing
The Children's Society, April 2020
Coronavirus: Calls to ease No Recourse to Public Funds conditions
House of Commons Library, April 2020
Latest news
Coronavirus: Home Office immigration policies ‘compounding’ health inequalities, says Sadiq Khan
The Independent, 29 April 2020
‘Alarmingly low’ number of EU children in care apply for settled status as UK authorities preoccupied with coronavirus
The Independent, 29 April 2020
Government 'reviewing' NHS surcharge for migrant medics
The Guardian, 25 April 2020
Children being denied cancer treatment due to their immigration status, doctors warn
The Independent, 22 April 2020
MPs warned of gaps in plan to extend NHS workers' visas
The Guardian, 21 April 2020 Right to rent rule 'justified' finds UK appeal court
The Guardian, 21 April 2020
Coronavirus is leaving asylum seekers like me more vulnerable than ever
Huffington Post, 20 April 2020
European citizens in UK at risk of losing out on jobless benefit, warn campaigners
The Financial Times (£), 20 April 2020
Patel refuses to take children from Greek camps threatened by Covid-19
The Observer, 13 April 2020
Immigration Health Surcharge rising to £624 in October 2020
Free Movement, 30 March 2020 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.
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