Recommendation 17

The planned changes to settlement routes will see some children who arrive in the UK at a young age spending most, if not all, of their childhood with temporary immigration status. The changes will also see some young people who came to the UK as children entering their late twenties or even early thirties before their parents are able to apply for settlement. If dependent children continue to achieve settlement at the same time as their parents, this would almost certainly lead to negative outcomes for young people—where they cannot begin to forge independent lives as they must remain dependant on their parents to maintain their immigration status. It is currently unclear the age at which young people would need to qualify for settlement in their own right, and how they would be expected to do so. If young people are required to meet minimum economic requirements to achieve settled status, this could place unreasonable expectations on young people who are beginning their careers or lead them to prioritise low-paid work over education and training. Without robust protections for young people, there is a risk of settlement policy being incoherent and leading to unfair outcomes, based on factors entirely out of the control of the young people affected. (Conclusion, Paragraph 69) 61