Financial redress for former child migrants
IICSA · Child Migration Programmes Investigation Report · Issued 1 March 2018 · Addressed to: UK Government
Government responseUK Government: Accepted (May 2023)
DeliveryNo statement from UK Government found
Recommendation, verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation, I
As a result, the Panel recommends that HMG establishes a Redress Scheme for surviving former child migrants, providing for an equal award to every applicant. This is on the basis that they were all were exposed to the risk of sexual abuse. Given the age of the surviving former child migrants, the Panel urges HMG to establish the Scheme without delay and expects that payments should start being made within 12 months.
We also propose that no regard be had to any other payments of compensation that have been made in particular cases.
IICSA, Child Migration Programmes Investigation Report · 1 Mar 2018 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
AI-generated evidence summary
The Inquiry recommended creating an equal redress scheme for surviving former child migrants. In May 2023, HM Government reported that the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) had established an ex-gratia payment scheme offering an equal award to every applicant, with over 1,700 payments made since applications opened in March 2019 (Home Office response, May 2023). It had previously stated in July 2019 that eligible former child migrants receive £20,000 regardless of individual circumstances or other compensation, covering those alive on 1 March 2018 or their beneficiaries (HM Government response, Jul 2019). The record holds nothing dated later than the response of May 2023 (Home Office response, May 2023).
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 12 Oct 2026.
Government response
●UK Government · Accepted · 22 May 2023
Following the Inquiry's Interim Report in March 2018 on Child Migration Programmes, the government (DHSC) also established an ex-gratia payment scheme for surviving former child migrants, which provided an equal award to every applicant. This was on the basis that they were all exposed to the risk of sexual abuse in being migrated, due to the child migration policy that had previously existed. The payment scheme opened for applications in March 2019, from which over 1,700 payments have been made to date.
Extract from: Government response to the final report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse
Earlier statement from UK Government (1)
●UK Government · Accepted · 22 Jul 2019
The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) announced details of the scheme on 31 January 2019 and the scheme was opened to applicants on 1 March 2019. It is open to any former British child migrant who was alive on 1 March 2018 or the beneficiaries of any former child migrant who was alive on 1 March 2018 and has since passed away. Each eligible former British child migrant is entitled to receive £20,000, regardless of their individual circumstances or payments received from other governments or through private legal action.
Extract from: Government response to the Interim Report by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse: Progress Update
Delivery
No statement on delivery from UK Government has been found in the sources searched. This is separate from the response above.
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