The UK child registration fee for citizenship is over £1,000 for each child, one of the highest in Europe, as highlighted by Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP's campaign on this issue. What work have you been doing to persuade the Government to reduce or eliminate these fees, given the high number of registrations in London and your previous work in encouraging Londoners to access citizenship?

It is unacceptable that children are excluded from accessing UK citizenship due to the exorbitant fees charged by the Home Office. I continue to urge the Government to cut for-profit immigration and citizenship fees and reinstate legal aid for children’s immigration cases.

I have invested unprecedented amounts into immigration advice so that young Londoners can secure their citizenship rights. This includes £298,000 for local authorities in London to identify and support children and young people in their care to resolve their immigration needs and access citizenship. I have contributed £510,000 to the Justice Together Initiative to expand access to immigration advice and representation across London, and a further £24,000 towards the Citizenship Payment Plan, a programme providing interest-free loans for families of eligible children to cover the costs of citizenship applications. I have also developed bespoke guidance for young Londoners with insecure status available on London.gov.uk