Is asylum support giving children the help they need?

A group of cross-party MPs and peers has been hearing first-hand evidence from experts and families at a parliamentary inquiry into asylum support for children and young people.
 
Led by Sarah Teather MP, the inquiry is examining whether the support provided by the Home Office to families seeking sanctuary in the UK is meeting children and young people’s needs.
 
There has been no formal review of the support system since 2009, when the duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in the immigration system came into force.
 
As a member of the panel, I have been privileged to hear evidence from experts and testimony directly from families about their day-to-day experiences. 
 
It has been alarming to hear about the impact on families of being moved many times without any choice about where they end up. One mother revealed how her young son had been in four different schools in two years because the Home Office moved them so frequently. They had no choice and no consideration was given to the effect this would have on his education.
 
The panel was told that some families are placed in inappropriate, damp, dirty, cold accommodation, which can be harmful to children’s health. Families struggle with very few resources just to survive and are juggling very difficult choices.
 
The fact that there are different levels and forms of support for some children, based on when they were born or their age, makes this even more difficult. For example, many families only receive their benefits on payment cards, which means they cannot do anything that requires cash.
 
They cannot take a bus to see their doctor or buy milk at the corner shop, but instead have to walk miles to get to the nearest designated shop. They can only buy goods in specific shops, where products are often too expensive for them. Even buying basic items for their babies, like pushchairs and baby formula, is difficult.
 
Some families spend significant amounts of time living in hostels. One young mother spoke of how she and her one-year-old baby live in a hostel with many other mothers and children. Her room is cramped, bathrooms are shared as are the washing machines and the kitchen. They have to rely on friends or other organisations when things get tough. Too often charities and faith groups are having to pick up the pieces.
 
The mothers who gave evidence stressed how they wanted to support themselves, their children and contribute to the society that has given them sanctuary. But they cannot because they are not allowed to work. These families have an equal right to respect, privacy and a dignified existence. The parents we heard from made clear that this was not happening and that they simply wanted the best for their children.
 
A number of experts who gave evidence highlighted their concerns with Section 4 support, which is provided to families who had been refused asylum but who cannot return to their country of origin. They called for a fairer and more humane system which treated all children equally.
 
The final oral evidence session is being held on Wednesday, 19 December, in the House of Commons, Committee Room 13, 12.30 - 2.30pm at which Minister of State for Child Poverty, David Laws MP will give evidence.
 
The panel will receive written evidence until 7 December. Click here for more information.
 

Matthew Reed is chief executive of The Children’s Society