Shadow children
Damning new report from the Children's Society
Thousands of migrant children are living ‘in the shadows of our communities’ as they suffer hunger, homelessness and sexual abuse. That’s the conclusion of a new report by the Children’s Society, which focuses on those whose immigration status leaves them without financial support.
The organisation says that extreme poverty is now routine among refugee, asylum-seeking and migrant young people. The report, entitled I Don’t Feel Human, includes stories of young people forced to engage in sexual activity in return for food and shelter.
The Children’s Society say that a third of young refugees supported by their ‘New Londoners’ project in the last year have been destitute. This compares with only fourteen per cent in the previous year.
‘It appears that they are being treated as though they have some kind of second-class status that does not entitle them to the necessary protection and support,’ said Enver Solomon, the Children’s Society’s policy director. He accused the government of ‘an approach that irresponsibly prioritises immigration control above the best interests of children’.
The report’s writers have called on the government to urgently review the situation
