Migrant Children's Project Newsletter
October 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. Support the Migrant Children's Project It's been a difficult year for many, and for charities who support those in need. This month we have some opportunities for you to support the work of the Migrant Children's Project and Coram. We would be so grateful for any support you could give.
The London Legal Walk is an annual 10k walk which raises crucial funds for advice and legal charities in London and the South East. Covid-19 meant that the walk could not happen as planned in May 2020. At the same time the pandemic also put a greater strain on vulnerable children and families, and the frontline charities that support them, than ever before. Coram Children’s Legal Centre staff normally walk or run together alongside thousands of legal professionals, but this October we are finding ways to participate despite Covid. We will be braving the rain next week to walk and run 10k (in groups of no more than 6!), and hope that you will consider donating to help us provide much-needed legal advice and representation to extremely vulnerable children in these difficult times. You can support us here: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/CoramCLC20
October also marks the start of Coram's 1739 challenge! In a year in which marathons were cancelled and charity shops closed, could you decide to support Coram? There are just five simple steps to take: Once you have dreamt up your Challenge, please sign up here – For help with challenge ideas head here (link this to challenge idea page, waiting on URL) Then head to JustGiving - to set up a fundraising page or make a single donation – there is no sign up fee, no fundraising target, just raise as much as you can Ask all your friends and family to sponsor you and encourage them to take on Challenge1739 with you Complete your challenge throughout the month of October– keeping in line with Government guidelines and social distancing rules of course Share a photo or video of your challenge on social media with #Challenge1739, tagging in Coram as well Support in the UK for asylum seekers
The news in the past few weeks has been full of ever stranger ideas about how to 'manage' new arrivals in the UK who claim asylum here. However, we strongly believe that the focus must be on meeting our international legal obligations and our duty of care to all those arriving in the UK - who include a great many unaccompanied children and young people. Read about local authority support for unaccompanied asylum seeking children here, and our fact sheet on claiming asylum as a child here.
Immigration Health Surcharge
Later this month the Immigration Health Surcharge - a fee those applying for limited leave to remain in the UK must pay as part of their immigration application - will rise to £624 per year. The fee was due to increase on 1 October 2020, but this did not happen due to a missed Parliamentary debate. The fee is still due to rise at some point this month, but no date has yet been fixed, meaning confusion and uncertainty for applicants and representatives. The Refugee and Migrant Children's Consortium has previously written about why this charge is an unfair extra tax on young people who have grown up in the UK - read their briefing here.
If you have any 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.
***NEW ONLINE TRAINING DATES*** Rights & Entitlements of young refugees and migrants - Tuesday 24th November 2020 Latest news
Priti Patel and Foreign Office at war over asylum plans
The Times, 2 October 2020
NHS and social care workers can now get an Immigration Health Surcharge refund
Free Movement, 1 October 2020
Priti Patel looked at shipping UK asylum seekers to south Atlantic
The Financial Times, 29 September 2020
Create safe, legal routes for refugee families to reunite in UK, stars urge PM
The Guardian, 28 September 2020
Immigration Health Surcharge increase to £624 delayed
Free Movement, 24 September 2020
Thousands of children in the UK are in limbo – trapped without immigration status
The Independent, 6 September 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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