Every child has the right to a peaceful and secure upbringing. Every child has the right to be cared for. Every child has the right to be treated with respect. Yet child migrants are frequently denied any of these things.

According to research from UNICEF, the world’s overall migrant population currently comprises 20 million refugees, 10 million of whom are children. All of these young people have had to leave their homes — and everything they have ever known — for reasons out of their control. The constant threat of war and persecution means that seeking a better life elsewhere is the only option.

Being exposed to such traumatic situations — such as seeking asylum — at an early age can prove permanently scarring. It is hugely unjust that children who are often not old enough to fully comprehend what is going on around them can be born into a world of pain and instability. It is deeply wrong that whilst some children are enjoying a positive and healthy start in life, others are suffering.

Even once a child migrant leaves their country of origin, life is still often characterised by fear and danger. Extremely perilous journeys must be undertaken in pursuit of safety. To make matters worse, many child migrants become separated from their parents, leaving them to navigate complex and adult systems alone.

In light of these desperate circumstances, it is imperative that adequate care is provided by the host society. Regrettably, this is not always the case. In the United Kingdom, cuts to the legal aid system means that unaccompanied migrants are unable to get free support for their immigration cases. Even for children who make it to the UK with their parents, the ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ (NRPF) is applied to all individuals who are subject to immigration control. This means that many of those who do not possess British citizenship are prohibited from accessing mainstream benefits, leading to poverty and insecurity.

As if these brutal circumstances were not enough, child migrants also have to contend with a media that is overwhelmingly hostile. Newspapers in the UK are seemingly determined to portray migration in a negative and dehumanising light, even in stories which feature endangered children.

This idea is encapsulated by the following headline from the Daily Mail: ‘Revealed: Number of unaccompanied child migrants being cared for by UK taxpayers has DOUBLED in the last three months and six more arrive here alone EVERY day’.

Despite the immense vulnerability of unaccompanied child migrants, the headline focuses on how their arrival in the UK is burdensome because they need to be cared for by taxpayers. It is important to note that a calculated attempt is made to draw attention to the number of migrants arriving, as demonstrated by the capitalisation of the word ‘doubled’.

It is deeply wrong for the headline to hone in on the financial cost of child migration. Taxpayers’ money is not being spent recklessly, it is used to provide essential care for children who are in a highly precarious situation. Previous research has found the notion of immigration ‘costing a fortune’ to be a prevalent theme within the British print media. A study by King’s College London that analysed coverage of the 2016 EU referendum pinpointed it as a recurring trend within the articles that were surveyed.

With child migrants already facing a multitude of difficulties, it is of paramount importance that they are represented with respect and decency by the media. Much of the problem of biased coverage stems from the thoughts and feelings of migrants being given little or no attention. Multiple studies have found migrant perspectives to feature in a strikingly low number of articles about immigration. To fully understand the plight of child migrants, a conscious effort should be made to speak to them and ensure that their views are made known. When young people are exposed to such trauma, it is essential that the general public are provided with accurate information. But whilst an attempt exists to use child migration issues for political point-scoring purposes, there is very little chance of the situation changing for the better.

In order for progress to be made, journalists need access to the appropriate sources. To this end, it is vital for a dialogue to be established between media professionals, social workers and other key individuals who provide care to child migrants. This will enable issues involving children to be discussed with the necessary level of care and sensitivity.

At present, the media industry is closed off to migrants. This means that they are rarely involved in the production of news stories, thus leading to events being represented through the lens of those with no first-hand experience of the issues being discussed. To bring about fairer coverage, individuals of all backgrounds need to be provided with equal career opportunities.

It is wrong for innocent, vulnerable children to be treated so inconsiderately by our print media. It is time for their feelings to be made known.


Written by Cameron Boyle, a political correspondent for the Immigration Advice Service, an organisation of immigration solicitors that provides legal aid to asylum seekers. The opinions expressed in this work are the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the Child Protection Hub.  

Childhub

You might like..

0
30
The article below was written by Phil Nash, correspondent for the Immigration Advice Service, an organisation of immigration solicitors providing legal support for students from overseas looking to study in the UK.  The views expressed are that…
0
9
The UK unveiled a plan to vastly increase government oversight of social media companies, with a first-of-its-kind watchdog that could fine executives or even ban companies if they fail to block content such as terrorist propaganda or images of…
0
The number of British nationals identified as potential child trafficking victims has been rising, amounting to 2 118 cases in 2017, out of which half said they were trafficked within the UK. Despite this, Independent has learned the UK`s Home…
0
4
As a first country in the UK Scotland has made it a crime for parents to smack their children. The new regulation will grant the children the same protection from assault as adults. Smacking in England is illegal, excluding cases where it is used as…
0
3
'London Youth' has launched an innovative leadership programme for youth practitioners who support young people suffering from violence in London.  London Youth, Leap Confronting Conflict and Clore Social Leadership have joined…
0
32
An estimated 121,000 young people in the UK asked the council for help with homelessness in 2019-20. However, it is worth bearing in mind that not everyone reaches the council for help and many more 16-24-year-olds are hidden homeless. This is…
0
4
The number of people trying to cross the English Channel to enter UK is increasing, amounting to a total of 239 since November. Before migrants tend to use vans, crossing the channel in ferries. This has changed, and now small and unsafe boats are…
0
5
The Internet Watch Foundation is a charity monitoring Internet and removing webpages showing child abuse in UK. In their early annual report, they confirmed to have removed around 100,000 such webpages in 2018, one third more than the year before.…
0
24
The year 2019 was especially important for Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who was selected as Person of the Year by TIME magazine for her environmental activism and gave a number of high-profile speeches. UK media regulator Ofcom has identified a…
0
1
After almost 4 years of negotiations, the UK left the EU on 31 January 2020. Despite Brexit, our UK members remain central to our efforts to put children at the heart of Europe. We stay united in our common cause for protecting and promoting…
0
3
Media regulator Ofcom interviewed 3,200 children and parents around the UK as part of a 2019 study on children’s electronic device usage habits.  Here are some of the results: Mobile phones are the most commonly used devices among…
0
4
The BBC reports on the newly introduced smacking ban bill in Scotland, presenting the country as the very first part of the United Kingdom to do so. Before the bill, it was allowed and quite common among parents and carers to use smacking as a form…
0
17
Crimes involving the sexual grooming of children have been on the rise in recent years, according to the British police in Shropshire. From April 2018 until April of 2019, local law enforcement authorities investigated 70 percent more child sexual…
0
1
A campaign by charities in the UK has emphasized the importance of a coordinated response for vulnerable young people aged 16–17. Support for children in need stops at 18, but very few vulnerable teenagers are referred to adult services.…
0
14
It is well-known that the internet is a hiding place for abusers and criminals, especially dangerous to children using self-regulated social media sites, like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and TikTok. This is one of the reasons why the…