Being children and undocumented in the UK: a background paper

The main aim of this paper is to review key terms, concepts and evidence that will provide the background and context for the examination of the situation of undocumented migrant minors in the UK. The paper specifically introduces the debate on children in migration and illustrates some of the tensions that the migration of children produces.

The document underscores the complex and contradictory position of migrant children in terms of policy, focusing on issues such as access to health and education services, and employment.

The main findings of the paper are as follows:

• most undocumented migrants are based in London, with the largest concentrations expected in traditional migrant’s neighbourhoods
• London provides not only employment opportunity and established support networks, but it also allows invisibility
• understanding motivations and consequences of visibility and invisibility is important for understanding the way undocumented child migration is governed
• there is serious tension between policies to protect children’s rights and policies to secure borders
• local authorities, together with schools, hospitals and other local agencies have the difficult task in their everyday practices to mediate between conflicting policy frameworks and agendas
• the local level is also a place of conflict, where the national politics of childhood encounter the global politics of childhood.

The author concludes that more research on other forms of child migration will increase the visibility of migrant children’s situation. Moreover, migrant children are vulnerable to extensive and often serious violations of their rights.