The UK Illegal Migration Bill: a child rights violation and safeguarding catastrophe.

The UN Refugee Agency estimates that 41% of the world's forcibly displaced people are children younger than 18 years. These children include those who are fleeing war, conflict, violence, and persecution and are forced to cross international borders in search of safety. Children seeking asylum are likely to have endured physical and sexual violence, persecution, torture, severe deprivation, exploitation, parental death, and family separation throughout their migration journey—altogether traumatic experiences rendering them vulnerable. These adverse childhood experiences can have lasting health effects. Families travelling together endeavour to protect children from trauma, but many thousands of children travel unaccompanied. 1 Corona Maioli S Bhabha J Wickramage K et al. International migration of unaccompanied minors: trends, health risks, and legal protection. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2021; 5: 882-895 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (13) Google Scholar Rather than supporting these children, the UK's new migration policies could cause further harm. The Illegal Migration Bill will violate the rights of children seeking asylum, undermine the Children Act, create safeguarding risks, and exacerbate the toxic stress experienced by children seeking asylum who arrive in the UK by irregular routes. As a signatory of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UK risks reneging on its commitment.