‘Alarmingly low’ number of EU children in care apply for settled status as UK authorities preoccupied with coronavirus

Thousands of European children in UK care system risk becoming undocumented because no one is applying for their post-Brexit immigration status, charity warns

Thousands of European children in the UK care system risk becoming undocumented because no one is applying for their post-Brexit immigration status, particularly now that councils are preoccupied with coronavirus, a charity has warned.

Figures obtained by the Children’s Society show just one in 10 children who are either in the British care system or who have recently left have been awarded settled status through the EU settlement scheme.

Following Brexit, EU nationals who wish to stay in the UK have to apply for the new form of status through the scheme by 30 June 2021. Those who do not risk becoming undocumented, which would leave them unable to access state support and could make them liable for deportation.

For children in care, the responsibility of applying for status falls on the legal guardian or their council social worker – but research by the Children’s Society found that despite the deadline approaching, many councils haven’t yet started to apply for the children in their care.

The new figures, obtained from responses to freedom of information requests from 153 local councils, shows that since the introduction of the scheme in March 2019, just 730 applications have been made for this group of vulnerable children and young people, of which only 404 have received status.

This means only 11 per cent of those identified have been awarded status and more than 2,500 are still to apply – though the charity said the number who need to apply is likely to be much higher.

The Children’s Society said this was in part because social workers were often stretched and may not have the time nor specialist immigration knowledge required to apply to the scheme on behalf of children with complex migration issues – adding that the disruption of the coronavirus pandemic will have exacerbated these issues.

It also raised concern that care leavers – who are required to apply themselves – may be unaware they need to apply for settled status or assume the council or government will take care of it for them.

It comes after The Independent reported last September on warnings that support from the Home Office to help EU national children in care to apply for settled status was already “woefully inadequate”, with social workers struggling to navigate the system and designated funding for this purpose falling short of reaching all those in need.

Charities said some of the children, particularly those for whom it is difficult to obtain proof of their length of residency, were being wrongly denied settled status because the scheme was “blind” to their complex cases and failed to recognise they were eligible.

Mark Russell, chief executive at the Children’s Society, said the numbers of EU children in care who had secured settled or pre-settled status was “alarmingly low”.

He added: “These numbers show just how much work still needs to be done to prevent them from becoming undocumented and facing further instability and uncertainty in their lives.

“With councils being pulled in multiple directions in response to the coronavirus crisis, clearly more help is required. This government must show a willingness to compromise, we want to see the Home Office grant automatic status to all European looked after children and care leavers.”

The Home Office has estimated that there are around 9,000 EEA looked after children and care leavers in the UK, and has committed to surveying local authorities to discover the true number – but hasn’t yet published the findings.

Marianne Lagrue, policy manager at Migrant Children’s Project at Coram, which is in receipt of Home Office funding to assist children in care with applying, said the low figure was “extremely concerning”, adding: ”It is even more of a worry that so few of those who have been identified have been supported to apply.

“In the absence of a government-led national plan to identify every single eligible child and support them to secure status before the deadline, it falls to individual local authorities and support organisations to try to make up the gap,” she added.

“This was a huge challenge before Covid-19, but is a mountain to climb now. Local authorities and the organisations supporting them need time, resources, and transparency about the scale of the challenge faced so that no child or young person becomes undocumented beyond the deadline.

A spokesperson told The Independent the scheme would remain open beyond 30 June 2021 for those with reasonable grounds for applying late, which it said would include children whose parent or guardian fails to apply on their behalf, people in abusive or controlling relationships who were prevented from applying or from obtaining the relevant documents and those who lack the physical or mental capacity to apply.

They added: “This report is inaccurate. Across government we are working to ensure that all eligible children and families are supported with their applications to the EU settlement scheme. The Home Office has already spent £9m funding third party organisations across the country who support families and the hard to reach with their applications, and last month we announced a further £8m to support their work.

“It is also simply wrong to say children will be subject to restrictive measures. More than 3 million people have been granted settled or pre-settled status and there is still over a year left to apply. We have been clear that where someone has reasonable grounds for missing the deadline, regardless of their age, they will be given a further opportunity to apply, including children whose parent or guardian fails to apply on their behalf.”