Chris-Ann, 28, is studying law and business and has ambitions to start her own business, but she knows — however sound her ideas — banks will be reluctant to give her a loan.
Victory, 27, was offered her ‘dream job’ in marketing after four rounds of interviews and ‘an amazing presentation’, only to have the offer withdrawn 24 hours later.
Both of these ambitious and resourceful young women have lived in the UK legally since they were at primary school, but have repeatedly found their plans blown off course because of their immigration status.
As an MP, I meet lots of people and organisations who are seeking to change a situation that they believe is wrong.
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When I met Victory and Chris-Ann and the other young people from WeBelong they really impressed me. Not only have they built a strong campaign based on their own lived experiences, they have succeeded in communicating it so effectively to decision makers, that the Conservative Government actually changed immigration policy. This is no mean feat.
Now this is not just because they are brilliant at communicating to decision makers but because their cause is really compelling.
Thousands of young people who are proud to have grown up in the UK and think of themselves as British, are still regarded as ‘temporary migrants’ by the Home Office. They have a form of immigration status called ‘limited leave to remain’, which means having to pay ever-increasing renewal fees at 30-month intervals.
As Victory found to her cost, many employers don’t understand that people with limited leave are fully entitled to work in the UK; and banks and financial institutions see them as higher risk and can be reluctant to make loans.
Another major hurdle is the high cost of Home Office renewals, which have increased by 553% since 2014 to reach £3,927.
In 2022, We Belong convinced then immigration minister Kevin Foster to give this group of young migrants a faster route to permanent settlement, and the minimum time they have to spend on limited leave was reduced from ten years to five. In agreeing this change, the Home Office identified 330,000 children and young adults who would be included. This was deemed a small enough cohort by the Home Office to treat them differently to other people on the 10 year route to settlement.
To have convinced the Home Office to change policy is seriously impressive and shows that what they have to say makes sense to all political colours.
However, problems remain. Too many ambitious young people are still being blocked from fully contributing to their communities and wider society because thee cost of securing permanent status is beyond their reach. There are currently no fee waivers available for those who cannot afford these high fees. An Indefinite Leave to Remain application currently costs £2885 per person whereas the actual cost to the Home Office of processing an application is £646.
This seems crazy to me — instead of focusing on their education and making their way in the world, they are having to focus on paying exorbitant fees. Not only is it detrimental to each of the young people involved, it also makes no sense for our society as a whole.
That is why, I have tabled an Early Day Motion to highlight this issue and to make the case for these young people to be able to access the route to settlement that has been set out for them. The ability to pay should not be a consideration when it comes to giving settlement and stability to young people who are essentially British and have spent much of their childhood and all of their adult life here. I hope many MPs will back my motion and that the government will listen.
As Victory says: ‘I want MPs to know this is not just an immigration issue, it’s an everything issue. It is holding back the potential of bright, ambitious and hard working people, keeping us bogged down.’
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