Families targeted by the UK Home Office for voluntary return to their home countries are appealing for more time to make decisions that could uproot their children and disrupt their lives.
Under a new pilot scheme, 150 families whose asylum claims were refused have been given just seven days to agree to return voluntarily. Those who decline face the prospect of being forcibly removed, with children potentially handcuffed during deportation.
The Home Office scheme, announced last week, offers families “go home” payments of up to £10,000 per person, totalling £40,000 per family, as an incentive to leave the UK quickly. Families say the short deadline and threat of forced removal have left them distressed and fearful for their children’s safety and education.
A father of a teenage girl studying for GCSEs described the impact: “My wife is completely shocked, sobbing at the idea of leaving this country we have called home for years. My daughter has to abandon her dreams of graduating and achieving good GCSE results. Our world has crumbled around us.”
Another parent, whose teenage son suffers from anxiety, said: “Both my son and I are on medication for depression. We need help to stay in the UK. Returning to our home country is not safe. I need more time to consider our next steps and ask the Home Office to extend the seven-day deadline.”
Families say they have been pressured by Home Office emails and calls to leave swiftly. One parent recounted being told: “If you do not go back, we will deport you and your family. If you or your child tries to escape, officers will handcuff you all and put you on a plane using physical force.”
The pilot scheme marks a change in Home Office guidance, clarifying that physical handling, including handcuffing children, could be used to enforce removal. Previously, force was limited to protecting children from harm. A consultation document notes that last year 97% of family removals were voluntary, with just 17 families removed by force.
Despite the threats, parents remain hopeful. “If we are forced to leave, we want to thank the UK and its people for welcoming us. We leave behind friends and strangers who have treated us like family,” one parent said.
The Home Office has declined to comment while the pilot scheme is ongoing.