“I cannot go back with my new baby to my friend’s house. I would have to sleep on the sofa. It’s a two bed council flat and my friend has two children herself. I need help”.

On May Day Maria (not her real name), 35, gave premature birth to a beautiful baby girl.  She was admitted to hospital from a two bedroomed council flat where she had been sleeping on a sofa.  Unlike Maria, her friend is a British citizen.  Like Maria, she is also a single parent: her two children are aged nine and four.  

Maria came to the UK in August 2015 under the special category of domestic worker visa.  She left her job when it became clear to her that she was being exploited: not being paid on time or regularly, being fed with only left over food and expected to be available 24/7.  When she left her employer informed the Home Office, at which point they cancelled her visa. Since then Maria has continued to work in the care industry as an undocumented care worker.

Yesterday, staff at the hospital where Maria gave birth asked her to leave but Maria said “I cannot go back with my new baby to my friend’s house. I would have to sleep on the sofa,  it’s a two bed Council flat and my friend has two children herself. I need help”.

​At this time, the helping organisation who contacted RAPAR is negotiating with Social Services to provide Maria and her baby with appropriate accommodation. The father of the child, a British citizen, has refused to support them.  As far as we know, the hospital is aware that Maria is undocumented but we do not know if the hospital authorities have alerted the Home Office about Maria’s undocumented status. 

According to yesterday’s Office of National Statistics report the difference between ethnic groups in COVID-19 mortality is partly a result of socio-economic disadvantage and "other circumstances, but a remaining part of the difference has not yet been explained. "

When and where will being undocumented or being denied your benefits and thereby treated unlawfully, as reported in yesterday’s Guardian appear on the list of "other circumstances ... {and/or }... differences previously unexplained?

For more information contact: Dr Rhetta Moran, rhetta.moran@rapar.org.uk/ 07776264646

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