The mandatory requirement on people who are on “immigration bail” to “sign on” regularly at the Home Office shows that the reporting system is harming children, young people and families, according to a new report. The key impacts are feelings of uncertainty and helplessness; fear of detention and deportation; increased family poverty; disrupted education; and a negative impact on parenting and mental wellbeing.
The report produced by Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit in collaboration with the Abolish Reporting campaign and other lived experience and campaigning groups has made the following recommendations to the Home Office:
- An end to all in-person reporting.
- Resolve the asylum backlog and stop making people apply for short forms of leave.
- Resolve young people’s immigration status at the earliest opportunity.
- Transparently collect and make publicly available data about reporting.
- Work with us, key stakeholders and lived experience campaigners so we can make these recommendations a reality in Greater Manchester.
The full report, ‘Living in constant fear’: The impact of reporting conditions on children, young people and families in Greater Manchester, is published here.