Children that had lived all their lives in the UK, or were born here are subject of debate for a while now. There has been protests by activists, children and teenagers. The Home Office was at the receiving end of this anger as there were laments and questioning of their ethical values and responsibility. Child activists in the UK and other parts of EU spoke against the increase in child citizenship fees to over £1000+ per child. The move by the Home Office is regarded as negligence to child right.
The Project for Registration of Children as British citizens (PRCBC) and Amnesty International are seeking to Judicial Review the Home Office against the extortionate fees. The campaign groups are seeking that fee is brought down to £372, and a waiver option for those the that cannot afford the payment. Also, that those in local authority care will also be exempted from the payment . The future of these children is in great danger, as it was said that the Home Office is really using this scheme to make a huge profit off vulnerable children and poor families. Majority of these children do not know that they have to apply for registration before their 18th birthday. Their parents also will have to spend extra time with works so that they can pay for these fees. The children themselves were born in the UK, a majority of them have lived their whole lives in the UK and they do not know that they need to be registered, only for them to realise the fees they will have to pay.
The benefit of being a registered British citizen is primarily because of their education, student loans, right to vote and other important things. In regards to education, the children are not meant to pay the thousands of pounds that international students pay. This has actually made it difficult for talented and intelligent youth to have access to a quality higher education which could have given them the edge in the world market.
The UK has been tagged as “a very hostile environment”, and the major injustice is that the children who were born in the UK, and had lived all their lives in the UK are also affected. These children have nowhere to go to, and they should not be abandoned because they are truly and really British. The British Nationality is a great factor of in the life of any eligible and intending applicant. The benefits include the right to vote, a British passport, and a heave of the burden of funding one’s education. The Home Office was accused of ruining the system of immigration, residency and citizenship.