Project 17 clients
Project 17 clients

It was a pleasure to meet children and family clients of Project 17, who work with destitute children. More must be done to ensure all children are safe and secure in the UK.

You can read the Project 17 report, Not Seen, Not Heard, here.

 

Home Office ‘hostile environment’ leaving thousands of children in extreme poverty and with mental health issues, report finds

Thousands of children across Britain are living in poverty and suffering from mental health problems because of the Home Office’s ‘hostile environment’ policy, a report by charity Project 17 has found.

Not Seen, Not Heard, released today, finds that many children of parents whose immigration status means they aren’t entitled to mainstream benefits are living in extreme poverty and feel socially isolated, distressed, ashamed and unsafe.

Local authorities are legally required to support children in this situation through what is known as ‘Section 17’ support. However, the report finds that many local authorities, such as the London Borough of Bexley, Southwark Council, and the Royal Borough of Greenwich, are routinely failing to do so because of a lack of central government funding, a culture of hostility and disbelief, and a failure in Section 17 assessments to consider children’s needs.

The report finds that even where this support is provided, it is often so meagre that families are unable to afford essentials such as school uniform, food and transport. 82% of children interviewed by Project 17 reported not having enough money.

Joel (age 9) and his family were forced to sleep in an Accident and Emergency department after being left street homeless after a local authority refused their request for Section 17 support. Joel said:

“Any time I said, ‘Mum, can we go home?’ I forgot that we didn’t have a home, so I couldn’t. My mum said, ‘Which home?’ and I said, ‘Oh yeah, we don’t have a home’. Then I didn’t want to talk anymore. I was feeling very sad.”

The report finds that as a result of difficulties of accessing support and shortcomings in the nature of support provided, thousands of children across the UK are living in terrible poverty. Their living conditions are often appalling, and the children often suffer from anxiety, depression and social issues. Some are falling into exploitation, abuse and street homelessness. Of the children in this study, one in four (24%) were left street homeless following a section 17 refusal.

Commenting, Amy Murtagh, Interim Director of Project 17, said:

“In the UK in 2019, children should not be growing up in poverty, in conditions that impact on their mental health. All children deserve to have a home and enough to eat, regardless of their parents’ immigration status.

“Local authorities need to do better at meeting their legal duties to children in need. Migrant families often struggle to access Section 17 support, facing hostile gatekeeping tactics. If support is provided, often it is inadequate to meet children’s needs.

“We are calling on local authorities to adopt our Children’s Charter, showing their commitment to children’s well-being and promising to make sure that children in their area have everything they need for healthy living and development.”

Project 17 are asking all local authorities to adopt a Children’s Charter, showing their commitment to upholding the rights of children living in families with no recourse to public funds. It commits local authorities to eight actions, including listening to children, placing children’s interests at the heart of decision making, and treating all children sensitively and supportively.

On meeting clients of Project 17 and their children, Edmonton MP, Kate Osamor, said:

“It is unconscionable that children in our country are without a home and enough to eat. Poverty of this kind is not natural and it is not inevitable. It is created by political choices and poor leadership.

“The UK is an extremely wealthy country and there are more than enough resources to make sure every child is safe and well looked after – if the Government decides to do it. I support Project 17’s call on local authorities to adopt their Children’s Charter.”

Legislative changes and the government’s ‘hostile environment’ policies mean that many people who have migrated to the UK are unable to access mainstream benefits or housing assistance, even if they are living in the country lawfully. This is called having ‘no recourse to public funds’.

/ENDS

Notes to editors

The full report is available to download here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zsVpKqJ0hohTLJjV4KDPuQppwQnqneeN/view

A short animation summarising the findings of the report can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/dySK_cuaLF8

The Children’s Charter can be viewed here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AaBYgkt69zlpmdq2WTDRpZDlPoOMmGdN/view?usp=sharing

No Recourse To Public Funds (NRPF): Project 17 works with families with ‘no recourse to public funds’. Some of these families are undocumented, whilst others have leave to remain in the UK, but with a restriction on accessing public funds. The result is that these families are unable to access the safety net provided by mainstream welfare benefits and housing assistance.

Section 17 Support: Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 places a duty on local authorities to safeguard and promote the welfare of children ‘in need’ in their area. This statutory provision has become an essential safety net for children whose parents are unable to access mainstream welfare support because of their immigration status. Research estimates that 5,900 children from families with no recourse to public funds across England and Wales received section 17 support in 2012-20131. The children in such families grow up in exceptional poverty. They are at high risk of homelessness, exploitation and abuse.

Contact

For media inquiries, please contact:

Amy Murtagh – 07963509044 / amy.murtagh@project17.org.uk

About Project 17

Project 17 is an organisation working to end destitution among migrant children. It works with families experiencing exceptional poverty to improve their access to local authority support.

More information: https://www.project17.org.uk/about-us/

 

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