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Written question asked by Helen Hayes (Labour) on Wednesday, 28 January 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 2 February 2026 (named day). It was answered by Alex Norris (Labour) on Monday, 2 February 2026 on behalf of the Home Office.

Immigration: Children in Care

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her department has made of the impact of failing to resolve the immigration status of children in care before turning 18.

Answer

The Home Secretary set out in the Immigration White Paper published on 12 May 2025 that the Home Office will ensure children who have been in the UK for some time, turn 18 and discover they do not have status, are fully supported and able to regularise their status and settle where appropriate. This will also include a clear pathway for those children in care and care leavers.

This commitment will be delivered primarily through an update to the ‘children in care policy’. As part of this, separate targeted engagement will take place with external stakeholders to help us to understand the challenges in this area and develop a policy solution which supports children in care without status while upholding the need to have a robust and coherent migration system. Children who have claimed asylum are dealt with under separate provisions.

A range of reforms are underway across the immigration and asylum system, and the development of a clear pathway to settlement for children in care and care leavers must be considered alongside these changes.

Further detail on this will be set out in due course.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
109164
Session
2024-26
Related items
Restoring Control over the Immigration System
Monday, 12 May 2025
Command papers
House of Commons
House of Lords
Subjects
Children in care Immigration
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk