Helping undocumented children
Undocumented children are vulnerable to poverty, social exclusion and exploitation. As they transition into adulthood they will be excluded from work and higher education and may be removed to a country they have never lived in.
Research estimates that there are over 215,000 [Jolly, 2020] undocumented children in the UK. Some of those children are British but unable to prove it, as many as half of them (ibid.) have an entitlement to British citizenship and many more would suffer human rights violations if they had to leave the UK.
Making a difference through legal representation
Undocumented children struggle to access free legal advice. Changes to legislation in 2013 dramatically reduced the scope of legal aid meaning that children cannot automatically qualify for free legal help with citizenship and immigration applications.
We want to make sure that all children can access high quality, free legal representation so that they be helped to navigate a complex immigration system and secure British citizenship or leave to remain. We want all children to realise their dreams, regardless of their immigration status.
