Lucy Leon

70 parliamentarians have written to the Home Office saying the settlement proposals are unfair & need a significant rethink

Guardian article on scrapping two child limit

Strong stuff from the Chancellor 💪🏻 One slight prob: her gov's NRPF policy (which restricts access to MOST benefits not just UC & which they're planning to extend to those w/ ILR) does precisely this: discriminates between children based on where parents are from www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

I've had the honour to convene this seminar series about the politics of immigration and exclusion.

Looking forward to learning more about the research by @turnbulldugarte.com @profsob.bsky.social @katharinalawall.bsky.social @distasioval.bsky.social and @stefaniesprong.bsky.social + drinks after!

Our Children, Our Future: Tackling Child Poverty Strategy document setting out the government’s ambitious decade long mission to tackle the drivers of child poverty across the UK.

We welcome plans for statutory guidance for local authorities supporting children in families with #NRPF under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989. This must come from @departmentforedu.bsky.social not the @ukhomeoffice.bsky.social. It must centre the welfare of the child.
www.gov.uk/government/p...

The harmful impact of NRPF YouTube video by United Impact

The government released their 10 year strategy to tackle child poverty in the UK. We welcome that #NRPF is mentioned in it, but it shows a failure to end the condition, which leaves thousands of migrant children homeless and destitute ⬇️📽️

www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4x3...

The Child Poverty strategy includes some welcome measures to support migrant children including providing guidance for councils on s17 of the Children Act and gathering better data. Wider measure to limit the use of unsuitable and poor quality temporary accom should also help.

Our Children, Our Future: Tackling Child Poverty Strategy document setting out the government’s ambitious decade long mission to tackle the drivers of child poverty across the UK.

Some quick thoughts on the child poverty strategy as it relates to immigration & asylum policy (which is what my research focuses on): 1) great to see recognition of children affected by NRPF as part of 'our children, our future' strategy www.gov.uk/government/p...

There have NEVER been ‘unrestricted’ taxis for asylum seekers. Travel to medical appointments has ALWAYS required Home Office approval.

Many of the people we support miss urgent care because they can't get there. UK Gov must stop scapegoating people for its poor management ➡️ tinyurl.com/fzsk3aen

The harmful impact of NRPF YouTube video by United Impact

We have made an animation, to show how the 'No Recourse to Public Funds' immigration condition, has harmed our families:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4x3...

Please write to your MP using our pre-filled letter template, to ask them to call for an end to #NRPF:
✍️✉️
win.newmode.net/project17/wi...

To truly tackle child poverty, the UK needs to look again at migration policy No recourse to public funds restrictions mean that families cannot access any benefits regardless of need.

Important new blog by @lucyleon.bsky.social on @uk.theconversation.com 'To truly tackle child poverty, the UK needs to look again at migration policy' theconversation.com/to-truly-tac...

The whole problem with current Labour is encapsulated right here in this paragraph. One hand tries to ameliorate child poverty while the other hand makes it worse.

Some of us think immigrants and their children count. That they, too, are people. Some of us don’t.

This story was on R4 this morning. For me the fact that this kid has spent 9 of her young 12 years of life on Asylum Support at £5-6/day in deep persistent poverty. 15000 children like her are growing up on Asylum Support each year. But no that wasn't the story. It was why are ppl taking taxis.

"The Government treats us like we're temporary" YouTube video by Praxis, for Migrants and Refugees

Did you know that thousands of migrants are being forced to wait over ten years until they can permanently settle in the UK? And if this Government has their way, over a million more people will be trapped in this decade-long wait.

Spread the word. Share this video now.
youtube.com/shorts/WDuan...

Q&A: Who is responsible for housing asylum seekers and refugees? - Migration Observatory This Q&A discusses who is responsible for housing asylum seekers and refugees in the UK.

Who is responsible for housing asylum seekers and refugees? Our latest Q and A provides the key answers and explains the process - migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/co...

A few of the families I interviewed for my research who were still in the asylum system had been separated from loved ones, including young children who were being looked after by grandparents. This news will be devastating.

Resources to support Accessible Intercultural Communication - Migration Policy Scotland For migrants whose first language is not English communicating with service providers can be challenging. Front line and reception staff can also lack confidence and struggle to know how best to help....

Accessible intercultural communication handbook: migrationpolicyscotland.org.uk/project/guid...

Local service maps: migrationpolicyscotland.org.uk/project/serv...

MPS Assoc Director @ beckakaymcc.bsky.social “It is incompatible with commitments to social justice and poverty reduction to treat migrant experiences of poverty as niche or specialist. They must become part of mainstream policy and practice.”
#Migrantpoverty

The Government’s immigration policies are increasing child poverty - British Politics and Policy at LSE The government has committed to tackling poverty among all children, including those subject to the UK’s asylum and immigration system. But recent reforms and proposals to immigration policy mean that...

Debates on migrants' access to benefits have focused on the costs to welfare spending but there are also costs - both fiscal & social - of continuing to exclude children in resident migrant families from social security protection >> @lsepoliticsblog.bsky.social via blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandp...

Help please: we're trying to recruit some more parent research participants in Scotland for our #FamilyFinances project. Specifically: parents who are receiving #UniversalCredit and #ScottishChildPayment and who have at least one baby (0-12months) in the household. Can you help spread the word?

Families with no recourse to public funds are trapped in hardship Half of low-income families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) are falling into destitution — going hungry, with no safety net to catch them.

Half of low-income families with no recourse to public funds are falling into destitution 📢

We need urgent policy change so that anyone experiencing hardship in the UK has a place to turn for support.

Read our latest briefing:
www.jrf.org.uk/deep-poverty....

Thousands of families with children arrive in the UK every year to seek protection. But they are pushed into extreme poverty by the Home Office.

Two months ago, the government froze the rates of financial support given to people seeking asylum.

This has a devastating impact on children. 🧵

96% of trafficked people who, as non British nationals, consented to enter the UK's National Referral Mechanism & were found by the UK govt's identification system to be trafficked were not granted leave.
Imagine speaking up, providing evidence, waiting & the positive decision cutting you adrift.

🚨Blog post: "Communities provide VITAL support to children & families seeking sanctuary across the UK. But they cannot protect thousands of children from deep & persistent poverty. Only gov reforms can do that." ilonapinter2019.wordpress.com/2025/06/20/c... #childpoverty #RefugeeWeek #asylumsupport

We are calling on the government to scrap NHS charging and the Immigration Health Surcharge.

Our full campaign & statement to the government is here: www.project17.org.uk/systems-chan...

Please share our video and ways to support our campaign below! Thank you! ⬇️⬇️

Immigration and asylum policy is a key lever for the government in tackling child poverty because of the role these restrictions play in driving and sustaining poverty
among children in migrant and asylum-seeking families.

@lucyleon.bsky.social and I also published an evidence briefing setting out recent @lse-sticerd-case.bsky.social and @compasoxford.bsky.social research on this topic www.compas.ox.ac.uk/publication/...

Olivia Blake: ‘Migrant children living in poverty is a hidden crisis’ - Politics.co.uk As MPs gather in Westminster for today’s spending review, I will be holding a debate on child poverty and No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF). The discussion could not be more urgent. The debate comes ...

Today MPs will be debating child poverty and the blanket ban on access to social security for migrant families www.politics.co.uk/mp-comment/2...

Email your MP and tell them to attend child poverty debate next week! On the 11th June, MPs will have the chance to speak up on the immigration restriction No Recourse to Public Funds and how this cruel policy is pushing children into poverty. We see the devastating imp...

1 in 3 children living in poverty are migrant children. This is not a coincidence. Hostile immigration rules drive child poverty.

Tomorrow, MPs will debate child poverty and No Recourse to Public Funds.

Make sure your MP is there - send them an email NOW!
act.praxis.org.uk/email-MP-NRP...

Over half a million children are affected by the no recourse to public funds condition im the UK, and there’s a high risk of poverty within this group says @ilonapin.bsky.social at #FISS2025

Changes to settlement: what do they mean? - Migration Observatory This commentary examines the potential impacts of the recent Immigration White Paper.

In last month's white paper, the government said the standard route to settlement will change from five years to ten.

Our new commentary looks at how many people could be covered by the changes and their potential impact on migrants.

migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/co...