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10.02.2026 / News /

Moving the Goal Posts: Children shouldn’t wait a decade for settled status in the UK

UVW statement 

United Voices of the World (UVW) is calling on the government to abandon plans that could force up to 300,000 children to wait as long as ten years for settled immigration status, following a new report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). The report warns that Home Office proposals on so-called “earned settlement” would trap hundreds of thousands of children in prolonged insecurity, despite many having grown up in the UK and knowing no other home. (See the full IPPR report Far From Settled here >> ) 

UVW organises and supports many migrant workers in low‑paid sectors across the UK — workers who contribute enormously to our society, our economy, and our public services, often at great personal sacrifice. Their children attend our schools, grow up here, and call Britain home. 

Yet, this policy risks trapping entire families in prolonged insecurity. It threatens access to essential benefits, to stable housing, to higher education, and to future opportunities. We believe the proposals will exacerbate child poverty, hinder integration, and punish the very workers the country relies on. 

“Forcing children and their families to live in prolonged uncertainty is not only cruel,” says Petros Elia, General Secretary of UVW, “it risks creating a generation locked out of stability, opportunity and basic security through no fault of their own.” 

“We witness every day how hostile immigration policy can leave families in precarious work, exploitative conditions, and constant fear. When children are denied secure status, the entire family is pushed further into vulnerability, making it easier for bad employers to exploit parents and carers who are terrified of losing the little stability they have. “

The government’s approach to earned settlement — which ties the right to settled status to long residence and work requirements — could delay secure status for hundreds of thousands of children. We believe this outcome risks entrenching inequality and undermining children’s rights. 

“No child should have to spend their formative years proving they deserve to belong in the only country many of them have ever known,” adds Elia. 

UVW is urging the government to replace these proposals with swift, secure and accessible routes to settlement for children and their families. A fair immigration system is essential to protecting workers, safeguarding families, and building cohesive communities. 

“The UK depends on migrant workers,” Elia says. “The least they and their children deserve is dignity, security, and the right to plan their futures without fear.” 

Take action now: 
 
📢 Share this story to raise awareness of how settlement delays harm families. 
🤝 Support UVW’s work defending migrant workers and their children – donate (here) or get involved >>

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