In 2022 we took on one new case almost every day – 330 new cases over the year
- 662 lawyers from 21 law firms and 3 in-house legal departments worked on KIND UK cases.
- Their work was supervised by 10 specialist KIND solicitors.
- In total, we had 781 cases active across the year.
- Our team and partners achieved a 99% success rate in final decisions.
Read about our impact in 2022…
On the issues
In numbers
On lives
With partners
There are over 215,000 undocumented children living in the UK today.
Being undocumented means living in the UK but not having the necessary paperwork.
Many were born in the UK and many have only ever known the UK as their home. Others are victims of trafficking or exploitation, or have fled from war.
Children who are undocumented are vulnerable to poverty, social exclusion and exploitation. They face problems accessing higher education, health care, opening bank accounts, applying for driving licences, housing and work.
Becoming documented can mean everything to a child or young person. It ends the risk of being torn apart from their family and home, or being deported to a country they do not know. It means they can access work, higher education and all of life’s opportunities freely as they become adults.
For some it means the difference between life and death if their rights are not properly protected – many face removal to countries that are not safe, or where they risk exploitation and human rights abuses.
Undocumented children and young people face many barriers to gaining status in the UK. The system is complex and can seem daunting and hostile. Many face it alone, without proper legal representation, without their rights being protected, and not knowing where to turn for help.
That’s where we come in.
KIND UK (Kids in Need of Defense UK) works to protect undocumented children in the UK.
- We provide free legal help to children, young people and families as they navigate the UK’s immigration and nationality procedures. We partner with lawyers and law firms across the country to ensure the best quality legal advice and representation. We protect the rights and wellbeing of undocumented children and young people.
- We campaign for systemic change to ensure that all children are safe and able to thrive regardless of their immigration status.
- We partner with KIND, a US charity supporting legal representation for children facing deportation proceedings alone.
We partner with KIND, a US charity supporting legal representation for children facing deportation proceedings alone.
KIND UK is a collaboration between five award-winning, UK based organisations that specialise in children’s immigration and asylum law: Central England Law Centre, Coram Children’s Legal Centre, Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit, JustRight Scotland, and the Migrant and Refugee Children’s Legal Unit at Islington Law Centre.
KIND UK has helped me so much. I am so grateful for all their work to help me and my sons.
Emma, Atu and Ebo’s mum
