Migrant Children's Project Newsletter
May 2020
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 and the Bereavement Scheme
 Covid-19 continues to have a profound impact on many migrant and refugee children, young people and families. Many organisations are supporting vulnerable children and families during this period and last month we linked to a number of on-going projects and information pages. We will continue to update our Covid-19 page and highlight work being done in this area.
A positive announcement this month was the inclusion of non-EEA family members in the Covid-19 Bereavement Scheme. Family members will received immediate indefinite leave to remain, free of charge, in cases where their family member is an NHS worker and has died as a result of Covid-19.
No recourse to public funds (NRPF) - quite a month
There has been a lot going on around NRPF policy this month, including decisions, announcements and calls for change. The Covid-19 crisis has further highlighted the negative impact of the NRPF policy, and wider hostile environment, for many vulnerable children, young people and families. Earlier this month, part of the NRPF policy was found to be unlawful by the High Court. The Children's Society published their report on the negative impact on children and families with NRPF. The issue of NRPF was also raised during the Liaison Committee on 27th May. CCLC also signed JCWI and The Unity Project's joint letter urging significant changes to the policy and the lifting of NRPF restrictions.
Immigration Health Surcharge changes for NHS and social care workers
Since 2015, many people making immigration applications have been required to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS). The IHS has to be paid up-front as part of an immigration application - it is also per person, meaning a family of four would pay four amounts. The current rate is £400 per person per year and this is set to increase to £624 in October 2020. This has been hugley problematic for vulnerable children and young people, as it compounds the unaffordability of Home Office fees and disproportionally affects families and young people with human rights cases whose future lies in the UK. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and pressure from various organisations, the UK government announced that they would remove the IHS from NHS and care workers. The exact details are still not clear and CCLC, along with 14 other organisations, have written to the UK government requesting further changes and a comprehensive review of the IHS.
If you have queries about these or other issues, please contact our advice line at mcpadvice@coramclc.org.uk
CCLC Online training Our training programme has moved online. You can book online training for your organisation by contacting mcp@coramclc.org.uk. We can provide training on a variety of topics, including rights and entitlements, asylum claims, age assessments, trafficking and modern slavery and NRPF children and families.
We are also offering webinars on specific subjects - these can be booked individually on our Eventbrite webpage. 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. 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. 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. Latest news
Outrage at U-turn on promise to reunite child refugees with UK family
The Observer, 24th May 2020
Scheme bringing lone child refugees to safety in UK ends
The Independent, 21st May
Channel migrants: Rise in unaccompanied children arriving in Kent
BBC News, 18th May 2020
Social workers must help children in care get EU settled status
Free Movement, 4th May 2020
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