On Tuesday 7 December, Stephen spoke in the Nationality and Borders Bill debate on the cost of citizenship in the UK.
The Government has introduced the Nationality and Borders Bill to Parliament. Stephen signed New Clause 8, which would stop the Home Office from charging fees that exceed the cost of processing a citizenship application for a child.
In the debate on the Bill in the House of Commons, Stephen highlighted the current costs of applying for British citizenship which, at £1,330, are nearly four times the cost to the Home Office of processing the application.
Speaking in the debate, Stephen said “for 10 years, [migrant families] get no child benefit, even if the children are British citizens; no Universal Credit if somebody loses a job; and no free school meals if the family hits hard times, prior to the pandemic. That is the hostile environment for law-abiding, hard-working migrant families, which is why families are so worried about what is in this Bill.”
You can watch Stephen’s full speech below.