UK government could make £5m profit on plight of Syrian refugee children
英國政府可以從敘利亞難民兒童的困境中獲利500萬英鎊

來源：獨立報 翻譯：世界播

Department charges children at risk of abuse, child labour and child marriage over £1,000 even if entitled to British nationality

英國內政部向面臨虐待、童工和童婚風險的兒童收取超過1000英鎊的費用，如果這些兒童想擁有英國國籍的話

A Syrian child holds a drawing as he waits to disembark from Belgian Navy vessel Godetia at the Augusta port, Italy. Around 250 migrants from Syria arrived at the Sicilian harbour from a Damascus refugee camp

在意大利奧古斯塔港，一名敘利亞兒童舉着一幅圖，等着從比利時海軍Godetia號艦艇上下來。大約250名敘利亞移民從大馬士革難民營抵達西西里島港口

The UK Government stands to make up to £5 million in profit by charging children who have escaped from violence and terror in Syria for British citizenship applications.

通過向逃離敘利亞暴力和恐怖襲擊的兒童收取申請英國公民身份的費用，英國政府將賺得高達500萬英鎊。

Some 8,789 minors arrived in the UK between 2014 and the first three months of 2019 under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) and the Vulnerable Children Scheme (VCS).

根據“弱勢人口安置計劃”和“弱勢兒童計劃”， 2014年至2019年前三個月，約8789名未成年人抵達英國。

Starting from next year, they could apply to register as British, but face a £1,012 fee to do so, setting up a potentially massive windfall for the Home Office.

從明年開始，他們可以申請註冊爲英國人，但要繳納1012英鎊的費用，這可能會給英國內政部帶來一筆巨大的意外之財。

The VCS scheme was devised to help children “threatened with child labour, child marriage and other forms of abuse or exploitation”.

“弱勢兒童計劃”旨在幫助“受到童工、童婚和其他形式虐待或剝削威脅”的兒童。

Through VPRS, the Home Office worked “with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to identify those most at risk and bring them to the UK”, and to help “those in the greatest need”.

通過“弱勢人口安置計劃”，英國內政部“與聯合國難民事務高級專員辦事處合作，找出那些處於嚴重危險中的人並將他們帶到英國”，並幫助“那些最需要幫助的人”。

But now the Home Office stands to profit off them. Each application costs the department £372, meaning it makes £640 in profit for every child that register.

但現在英國內政部肯定會從中獲利。每一份申請會花費內政部372英鎊，這意味着每一個註冊的孩子將爲其創造640英鎊的利潤。

If every Syrian child relocated under VPRS and VCS applies, the Home Office could stand to make £5,624,960 in the next few years, according to an analysis by the International Observatory of Human Rights (IOHR).

根據國際人權觀察組織的一項分析，如果每個按照“弱勢人口安置計劃”和“弱勢兒童計劃”遷移至英國的敘利亞兒童都申請英國國籍的話，那麼在未來幾年，內政部有望獲得5624,960英鎊的收入。

A Home Office spokesperson described the figure as “speculative and hypothetical,” given it is not mandatory to apply for citizenship to live, study and working in the UK.

英國內政部一名發言人表示，這一數字是“推測性和假設性的”，因爲在英國生活、學習和工作並不一定要申請公民身份。

“There is no fee for applying for settlement as a refugee or person who’s been given humanitarian protection,” they added.

他們還說：“作爲難民或得到人道主義保護的人，申請定居不收取任何費用。”

However, Nour Sakr, a lawyer from the IOHR, said: “It isn't correct to suggest citizenship and indefinite leave to remain amount to the same thing.

然而，國際人權觀察組織的律師努爾·薩克爾說：“公民身份和永久居留權並不是一回事。”

“Indefinite leave only allows you to exist here, it doesn't give you the right to free movement. It doesn’t allow you to have access to education funding unless you meet certain criteria. It also doesn't give you the right to apply for certain government jobs but most importantly it doesn't give you an identity or a nationality.

“永久居留權只允許你在這裏生存，它不給你自由行動的權利。它不允許你獲得教育資金，除非你符合某些標準。它也沒有賦予你申請某些政府職位的權利，但最重要的是，它沒有給你一個身份或國籍。”

“The Home Office should know they are not the same thing and that ILR status does not entitle a passport.

“英國內政部應該知道，它們不是一回事，擁有永久居留身份的難民拿不到護照。”

“Many people who come or were born here as refugees do not have another passport- this is the only one they will have.”

“許多來這裏或在這裏出生的難民沒有其他進身之階——申請公民身份是他們唯一的途徑。”

Application fees have more than doubled since the beginning of the Home Office’s hostile environment policy – it was £500 in 2011. When it was introduced in 1983, the fee was just £35.

自英國內政部出臺敵對環境政策以來，申請費已上漲逾一倍——2011年爲500英鎊。1983年推出時，收費僅爲35英鎊。

Children born outside the UK but with a connection to the country, such as those who have grown up in the UK from a young age, are entitled to British citizenship under the British Nationality Act 1981.

根據《1981年英國國籍法令》，在英國以外出生但與英國有關係的兒童（比如那些從小在英國長大的兒童）有權獲得英國國籍。

Steve Valdez-Symonds, Refugee and Migrant Rights Director at Amnesty International UK, said: “The Home Office has fundamentally misunderstood its duties to children whose lives and futures clearly lie in the UK.

英國大赦國際難民和移民權利主管史蒂夫•巴爾德斯-西蒙茲表示：“內政部從根本上誤解了它對兒童的責任，這些兒童的生活和未來顯然都取決於英國。”

“Seeking to profit off children, and preventing poorer children from claiming their rights to British citizenship, is hugely harmful to children and their chances to feel and be fully part of the country that is their home.

“試圖從兒童身上獲利，阻止貧困兒童申請英國公民身份的權利，這傷害了他們的感情，讓他們很難覺得自己是這個國家的一部分並充分融入這個國家。這個國家是他們的棲身之處。”

“This affects both children who have citizenship rights through resettlement programmes but also those who are born and grow up in this country.”

“這不僅影響到了通過移民安置計劃獲得公民權利的兒童，也影響到了在這個國家出生和長大的兒童。”

The UK charges the highest nationality fees of any major European economy. Similar applications are free in Denmark and Luxemburg. Belgium and France do not charge state fees although there are minor local fees. In Germany, the cost ranges from £45 to £227.

在歐洲主要經濟體中，英國收取的國籍費最高。類似的申請程序在丹麥和盧森堡是免費的。比利時和法國不收取國家費用，儘管有少量的地方費用。在德國，價格從45英鎊到227英鎊不等。

“It can’t be right that a family with three kids will be expected to pay out £5448 to try and secure a safe future, with nothing guaranteed at the end of the process,” said Valerie Peay, the director of IOHR.

國際人權觀察組織主任瓦萊麗·皮伊說：“一個有三個孩子的家庭預計要花費5448英鎊去確保一個安全的未來，但在這個程序的最後什麼保障都沒有，這是不妥當的。”

Not having British citizenship means people do not have the right to vote, and their access to further education is severely limited.

沒有英國國籍意味着人們沒有投票權，他們接受進一步教育的機會受到嚴重限制。

A child refugee must be a UK resident for six years before they can apply for citizenship and will spend the first five years on a refugee visa before they can apply for indefinite leave to remain.

兒童難民必須在英國居住6年，才能申請英國公民身份。在可以申請永久居留權的前5年時間裏，他們只能使用難民簽證。

After a further year, those who meet the eligibility criteria are able to pay the fees and apply for citizenship.

再過一年，那些符合資格標準的人就可以支付費用並申請入籍。

Only a few dozen of the 8,789 Syrian youngsters will be eligible to register as British next year, but numbers will increase as more reach the six-year threshold and more are resettled in the UK.

明年，8789名敘利亞年輕人中只有幾十人有資格註冊成爲英國公民，但隨着更多的人達到6年居住時間的門檻，更多的人在英國定居，這一數字將會增加。

If the application is refused, applicants are not refunded. If children want to re-apply for citizenship, they must pay the fee again.

如申請被拒絕，將不退還申請費用。如果孩子們想重新申請公民身份，他們必須再次支付費用。

On top of the £1,012 fee, children are required to pay £19.20 to provide biometric information and £80 to attend a citizenship ceremony if a minor turns 18 during the application process.

除了1012英鎊的費用，兒童還需要支付19.20英鎊提供生物特徵信息，如果未成年人在申請過程中年滿18歲，則需要支付80英鎊參加入籍儀式。

The Home Office makes £2m a month from child citizenship fees and has made almost £100m in profit from children registering as British citizens over the last five years.

英國內政部每月從兒童入籍費中賺取200萬英鎊，在過去5年裏，兒童註冊成爲英國公民爲英國創造了近1億英鎊利潤。