More than 100,000 children in London without secure immigration status, research finds

Sadiq Khan warns of another Windrush-style scandal if urgent action is not take to secure UK status of tens of thousands of youngsters who have lived in Britain all of their lives

A study commission by the Mayor’s Office found that an estimated 107,000 children and a further 26,000 18-24 year olds are living in London without secure immigration status (May Bulman)

More than 100,000 children in London do not have secure immigration status despite more than half of them having been born in the UK, new research shows.

Sadiq Khan warned another Windrush-style scandal could be on the horizon after a study he commissioned found that that tens of thousands of youngsters in the capital were at risk of being unable to access higher education, open bank accounts, or secure housing or employment.

The research, undertaken by the University of Wolverhampton, found that an estimated 107,000 children and a further 26,000 18-24 year olds are living in London without secure immigration status. Once an undocumented child turns 18, they face the threat of deportation to a country they may never have visited.

It estimates that overall, 674,000 undocumented adults and children – which can include those who were born in the UK or have spent the majority of their life in the country, as well as those who are eligible for citizenship but cannot afford to apply for it – are living in the capital.

The £1,012 cost of registering a child for British citizenship was ruled unlawful by the High Court last month after the judge found a “mass of evidence” that it was preventing many children from being registered. The ruling means the government will have to reconsider the fee, but it is not known when any review will take place.

Mr Khan said the fact so many young people had no formal status was a “national disgrace” and called on the government to take urgent action by ministers to provide financial support to advice services, cut extortionate immigration and citizenship fees and reinstate legal aid for children’s immigration cases.

He also warned of the potential for a further crisis with Brexit, if the 260,000 European-national children and 96,000 European-national young people living in the capital are not supported in applying to the EU Settlement Scheme, or for citizenship.

“The application process for the EU Settlement Scheme is unnecessarily complex and, with many vulnerable people struggling to secure their rights, the government risks abandoning whole generations to an uncertain future,” the mayor said.

“The Windrush scandal proved that the government’s hostile immigration policies were not fit for purpose and swift action must be taken now to support our young people and prevent another crisis taking place.”

Kamena Dorling, Coram Children’s Legal Centre’s group head of policy and public affairs, said UK citizenship and immigration policy was failing a significant number of children who have grown up in the UK.

“These children are growing up in limbo instead of being legal citizens in the country they call home … No citizenship and immigration system can succeed if it excludes this many of the country’s children and teenagers from legal status,” she added.

A Home Office spokesperson said they did not recognise the figures quoted in the report, adding: “There are a range of routes and options available for people of all ages to regularise their status, including, children who have lived in the UK for most of their lives.

“We do not agree with the notion that leaving the EU will increase the number of undocumented children. The EU Settlement Scheme allows applicants, including children, to apply without an identity document when there is a reason beyond their control why they can’t obtain one.”