The deadline for settled status applications is 30 June but the Children’s Society has warned that “thousands of vulnerable European children in care in the UK could be facing uncertain futures because applications have not been made on their behalf”.
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Blog: Looked-after children, care leavers and EUSS
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Related news: Vulnerable young EU nationals 'not supported to apply for settled status'
Latest government figures show that as of 31 May, 1660 looked-after children and care leavers eligible to apply to the EUSS had not had applications submitted on their behalf.
A report on the scheme, published by the Children’s Society last year, warned: “To fail to apply for one eligible child could mean suddenly, through no fault of their own, being cut off from essential services and support as of 1 July 2021.
“They will lose the right to work, rent, hold a bank account or a driving license. Any period of unlawful residence will have serious impacts on any future application for citizenship and if a young person has ambitions to attend university, impact their eligibility for student finance.”
As the deadline looms, the charity has renewed calls for the Home Office to “commit to accepting all out of time applications for looked after children and care leavers and to protect their status in the interim”.
“This will prevent them from facing years of limbo or the ramifications of having become undocumented through no fault of their own,” it adds.
The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JWCI) and the Care Workers Charity are among those calling to lift the application deadline to be lifted to support vulnerable people including looked-after children and care leavers and victims of trafficking.
The JWCI is calling on members of the public to write to their MP asking for the deadline to be scrapped.
An open letter, written by the JWCI, states: “The situation has never been more urgent. If even one per cent of the millions of EU citizens resident in the UK are unable to apply on time, that's tens of thousands of our EU friends and neighbours forced out of status and their rights to work, rent, access free healthcare and benefits. They will be subject to Hostile Environment policies including detention and removal.
“Overwhelming evidence shows that it is the most marginalised EU citizens who are in greatest danger of slipping through the cracks in the scheme.”
The Home Office has been contacted for comment.
