Half of children with parents born abroad are in poverty

Hundreds of thousands of children in the UK from migrant families are affected by poverty and are being held back in life, wth nearly half of children in families with parents born outside of the UK are in poverty. The data from Public Policy Research (IPPR) has shown that 46 per cent of children of non-UK-born parents live in poverty, compared to 25 per cent of other children according to a new report from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).

The think tank warns that the upcoming child poverty strategy, expected to be published in Spring, will fail unless it addresses the deepening crisis of hardship amongst children with parents born outside of the UK.

The data showed that over a third of children in poverty are in families with parents born outside of the UK: 1.5 million children in poverty in the UK live in families with migrant parents.

Nearly half of children in families with parents born outside of the UK are in poverty: 46 per cent of children of non-UK-born parents live in poverty, compared to 25 per cent of other children

Children in families with migrant parents are more than twice as likely to be in very deep poverty, 21 per cent of children of non-UK born parents live in very deep poverty, compared to 8 per cent of other children

The research says children with migrant parents are more likely than other children to not have their own bedrooms, go on school trips, have a hobby, have friends over, celebrate special occasions, and eat nutritious food.

This has long-term consequences for children who are likely to spend their entire lives in the UK. Growing up in poverty harms their future health and career prospects, increasing potential costs to society and the economy.

The report outlines key reasons for why migrant families are disproportionately affected by poverty. These include legal barriers such as the ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ (NRPF) condition, which prohibits parents from receiving benefits including universal credit, child benefit, and personal independence payment, as well as social housing and homelessness assistance.

Other reasons include institutional barriers such as steep visa and legal fees – for example the £1,258 cost to extend leave to remain on family visas – as well as practical and social barriers such as discrimination, stigma and language barriers.

The government’s pledge to reduce child poverty through a cross-government taskforce offers an opportunity to drastically improve the lives of young people with families on low incomes – however, it can’t ignore children with migrant parents, says the think tank. IPPR recommends:

• Removing the NRPF condition from families with children on a route to settlement after five years of continuous legal residence
• Ensuring the consistent implementation of Section 17 support by establishing statutory guidance for English councils, so migrant families facing destitution receive timely and equitable support
• Extend childcare provision to working parents with NRPF to support parents into work and improve school-readiness of children

Amreen Qureshi, Research Fellow at IPPR, said “Our new research lays bare the scale of child poverty in migrant families. Families who have lived, worked, and contributed to the UK for years are being locked out of support and forced into poverty. No child should go without food, clothing, or a safe home simply because of their parents’ immigration status.

“The upcoming child poverty strategy is a crucial moment for the government to address some of the causes of poverty that lie within our migration system. If they get this right, not only will it enable them to make strides in their efforts to bring down child poverty, they could also help remove some of the huge financial pressures on cash strapped local councils.”