PRCBC’s hardship fund helps children and young people with expenses incurred in securing their British citizenship rights. This can include things such as Home Office application fees, cost of obtaining documents such as birth certificates, or even just travel expenses to attend meetings with us. Securing young people’s citizenship rights is vitally important. By donating to our hardship fund, your support can make such a difference to a young person’s life.
Many young people born and growing up in the UK are deprived of the security and sense of belonging that their friends and peers share. This is because some British people face practical and legal barriers to their British citizenship being recognised.
There are many ways by which this happens. For example, some young people must formally apply to the Home Office for their citizenship to be registered, even though they were born in the UK and have lived here all their lives. Some people, including some young people in local authority care, are born British citizens but have difficulties proving this such as in getting evidence to show who is their mother or father, or to prove that their parent is British or settled. Sadly, some young people do not even know they must do these things to be recognised and treated equally and fully as British citizens just like their friends.
The impact on a young person of discovering they are not recognised as British can be devastating. This can be profoundly alienating. It can also lead to all kinds of practical exclusions, including from work, study or travel.
