On Friday the day after Parliament closed down for holiday a local Conservative MP sent up a written question to his Government and the answer he received is very disturbing. The MP who wrote the question is Tim Loughton who is the MP for East Worthing and Shoreham and he also worked for his Government nearly 10 years ago for children. The answer came from Robert Jenrick who is the Government Minister for Immigration. It would be very helpful if some other MPs who care about children will challenge the Government when Parliament reopens next Monday. Here is the question and answer.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a fee waiver for indefinite leave to remain applications for young people on the five-year route to settlement under the Immigration Rules Appendix Private Life who can demonstrate that they cannot afford the fee after meeting essential living costs.

Robert Jenrick: The right to stay indefinitely is one of the most valuable entitlements offered for those seeking to enter or remain in the UK, and it is right that the fee should be higher than most for migrants staying temporarily in the UK.

A grant of indefinite leave to remain is not necessary to enable people to remain in the UK on the basis of their Article 8 or other ECHR rights, as these can be met through a grant of limited leave to remain. The provision of an affordability-based waiver for limited leave on family and private life routes allows an individual or family to remain here lawfully, and to then apply for settlement and pay the fee when the funds become available. As such, there are no plans to waive the fee for indefinite leave to remain.