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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  on proposed “earned settlement” plans and delays to settled status for children

The United Voices of the World (UVW) union has raised serious concerns about government proposals to introduce so-called “earned settlement” routes, warning the plans risk trapping hundreds of thousands of children and working families in prolonged insecurity.

UVW is deeply alarmed by reports, highlighted in a new Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) report, that up to 300,000 children — nearly a quarter of the 1.35 million people already on routes to settlement — could be forced to wait up to 10 years to secure settled status. For workers in below-graduate level jobs, including care workers, the wait could be extended to as long as 15 years.

UVW organises migrant workers across sectors including cleaning, care, hospitality, security and facilities management. These workers contribute enormously to the UK’s economy, public services and communities — often at great personal sacrifice. Their children attend UK schools, grow up here and call Britain home.

UVW warns that extending settlement routes risks trapping families in long-term instability, restricting access to benefits, secure housing, higher education and future opportunities. UVW believes the proposals would exacerbate child poverty, deepen social exclusion and punish key workers the country depends on.

Prolonged immigration insecurity makes workers more vulnerable to exploitation. The union sees daily how hostile immigration policies trap families in precarious work, exploitative conditions and constant fear. When children and families are denied secure status, parents and carers can be pushed further into vulnerability, making it easier for unscrupulous employers to exploit workers who fear losing what little stability they have.

Petros Elia, UVW’s General Secretary, says:

“No child should have to spend their formative years proving they belong in the only country many of them have ever known. Forcing families to live in prolonged uncertainty is not only cruel but risks creating a generation locked out of stability, opportunity and basic security through no fault of their own.

Migrant workers keep our schools, hospitals, universities and public services running, often while facing low pay and insecure working conditions themselves. Extending settlement routes to 10 or even 15 years will push families into deeper insecurity and poverty.

This is not just an immigration issue — it is a workers’ rights issue and a children’s rights issue. A fair immigration system is essential to protecting workers, safeguarding families and building cohesive communities.”

UVW is calling on the government to abandon any plans that would extend waiting periods for settled status and instead ensure children and their families have swift, secure and accessible routes to settlement.

The UK depends on migrant workers. The least they — and their children — deserve is dignity, security and the ability to plan their futures without fear.

ENDS

Take action now: 
 
📢 Share this story to raise awareness of how settlement delays harm families. 
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