On 31 January 2019 HM Government announced a financial redress scheme for former British Child Migrants. This followed the Interim Report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), and its report on Child Migration Programmes (published in Spring 2018).
This notice clarifies the position of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI) in relation to the announcement of the payment scheme.
SCAI is investigating the abuse of children in care in Scotland or children whose care was arranged in Scotland. Child migration programmes are one of the Inquiry’s announced investigations.
The Inquiry is independent of all organisations including both the Scottish and UK Governments. It is also separate to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) which examines how institutions in England and Wales handled their duty of care to protect children from abuse.
The UK Government announced that the payment scheme will cover the whole of the UK, regardless of the UK nation from which the former child migrant was sent, with all applications being handled by the Child Migrants Trust.
The UK Government also determined that each eligible former child migrant will receive a payment of GBP £20,000.
The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry continues to investigate the child migration programmes and the Child Migration case study hearings are scheduled to begin at the end of 2019. The Inquiry continues to encourage anyone with relevant information to get in touch.
Additional notes
- One of the recommendations in the IICSA interim report published in spring 2018 is that the UK Government establish a financial redress scheme for surviving former child migrants, providing for an equal award to every applicant. This is on the basis that they were all exposed to the risk of sexual abuse.
- On 26 February 2019 in response to this recommendation, the UK Government announced a financial redress scheme for all former British child migrants, regardless of where they suffered abuse.
- SCAI was not aware of this announcement until it was made available on the Department of Health and Social Care website.
- Each former eligible child migrant will receive a payment of £ 20,000.
- Eligibility criteria is set out on the Department of Health & Social Care website.
- To apply, former child migrants must have been sent from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man before 1971 when they were below school leaving age.
- The scheme is open to any former British child migrant who was alive on 1 March 2018 or the beneficiaries of any former child migrant who was alive on 1 March 2018 and has since passed away.
- Applications are being handled by the Child Migrant Trust
- For the avoidance of doubt, SCAI does not and cannot handle applications.
- SCAI is investigating the child migration programmes and case study hearings will take place in late 2019.
- Anyone with relevant information is encouraged to get in touch with the Inquiry.