Strengthening Protection and Security for Children in the UK

KIND is a global leader in the protection of children on the move, with a focus on unaccompanied and separated children, and those without legal status. Launched in 2008, KIND champions a world in which every child’s rights and well-being are protected as they migrate, settle, and thrive.

Building on its successful model in the United States, KIND began working in the UK in 2016, partnering with five expert organisations and over 1,000 lawyers from law firms and corporate legal partners to provide pro bono legal services for children.

There are an estimated 215,000 children living in the UK with an insecure immigration status which impacts every aspect of their lives, their well-being, and their safety.

Many are entitled to be registered as British citizens but are unaware of their rights or are unable to navigate the highly complex immigration and citizenship system in the UK. Others have fled conflict, exploitation, poverty, and trauma.

As they transition into adulthood, these children can be excluded from education, work, and housing, and may even be removed to a country they have fled or never lived in. As a result, they are extremely vulnerable to violence, trafficking, exploitation, abuse, and other harm.

Gaining legal status in the UK can mean everything to a child or young person; for some it means the difference between life and death.

Download UK Fact Sheet