Securing Children's Rights
An IMA campaign to ensure children of EU, EEA and EFTA citizens have the rights they need in the UK.
What's the issue?
Many children of EU, EEA and EFTA citizens living in the UK do not have the immigration status they need.
Without this, they do not have the rights they need. These include a right to:
- Live in the UK
- Use the NHS for free
- Travel in and out of the UK
- Access further and higher education
- Access benefits
- Work in the UK
Unfortunately some parents only find out their child does not have immigration status when they receive a hospital bill - some NHS care is only free for the first three months of a baby's life.
Why is this happening?
To live legally in the UK after Brexit, each EU citizen had to make an EUSS application to get EUSS status.
This included the children of citizens.
But many parents were not aware of this. Some believed that their children's status was automatically linked to their own EUSS status.
Others believe that if their child was born in the UK then they were automatically a British citizen.
Generally, children of EU, EEA and EFTA citizens only have automatic immigration status if at the time of their birth:
One or both their parents have settled status
One or both their parents were British citizens
The IMA campaign is to raise awareness about the need for some citizens to apply for status for their child. Also, for teenagers to check their own immigration status.
JOIN OUR CAMPAIGN
How can you help?
We want to reach as many parents and young people as possible and encourage them to check their child's or their own immigration status.
To do this, we have created resources that people can look at to work out if they may need to make an EUSS application for their child or for themselves.
We'd love it if you could help share these resources - the more organisations and individuals supporting this, the more people we can reach.
There are two sets of resources:
One is aimed at teenagers who may not have adult help
Depending on the sector you work in, either or both sets of resources may be appropriate.
RESOURCES AIMED AT PARENTS
Raising awareness among parents
It's important that parents are aware that they may need to make an EUSS application for their child as soon as possible.
Citizens have 90 days from the birth of their child to make an application on their behalf.
But late applications can be made if there are what's known as reasonable grounds for the delay.
Resources for parents
To help parents work out if they may need to make an EUSS application for their child, there is a fact sheet with an overview of the relevant immigration details along with FAQs.
You can download the fact sheet by clicking on the button below. This can be used digitally or printed as an A4 document.
To reach people offline, there is a poster and A5 leaflet with QR codes that link to the fact sheet.
Translating the resources
To translate this page or any of our resources, click 'listen and translate' in the menu bar. This will launch a toolbar at the top of your screen which will enable you to translate any page or document on our website.
We are also happy to help translate the printable materials into different languages. Please get in touch if this is something that you would like.
RESOURCES AIMED AT TEENAGERS
Raising awareness among teenagers
Children can spend years living in the UK unaware that they do not have immigration status.
They may only find out when they apply for a National Insurance number to get a job or when they leave and try to return to the UK.
The sooner they become aware that they need immigration status, the better.
Resources for teenagers
The below fact sheet helps teenagers think about whether or not they need to make an EUSS application. This can be shared online or printed in A4.
To reach teenagers offline, there is a poster with a QR code which links to the factsheet.
Translating the resources
You can translate the materials online using the translate icon on the left hand side of the toolbar.
We are also happy to help translate the printable materials into different languages. Please get in touch if this is something that you would like.
EUSS: A TIMELINE OF KEY DATES
June 23, 2016
Referendum
The UK public voted to leave the EU
August 2018
EUSS Created
The UK Government created the European Settlement Scheme (EUSS). This meant EU, EEA and EFTA citizens living in the UK had to apply to the scheme to legally stay.
31 December 2020
End of transition period
Citizens had to be living in the UK by 31 December 2020 in order to be eligible to apply for EUSS. It was the end of what’s known as the Brexit transition period.
30 June 2021
EUSS Deadline
This was the deadline for most people to apply to the EUSS.
By this point, 6,015,400 applications were made.
September 2025
IMA Survey
In 2025 the IMA undertook a survey with 3,000 citizens. A key finding was that 38% of parents or guardians who responded to the survey had not applied to the EUSS for their child.
The main reason (72%) for not applying for a child was a belief that at the time of birth, their child held British citizenship due to being born in the UK.
A further 13% of respondents were just not aware that they needed to apply to the EUSS for their child.
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