Human rights groups tell parents to not tell schools where kids were born over immigration clampdown fears
Concerned organisations have already seen an increase in data sharing since the Government announced its commitment to create a 'hostile environment' for undocumented migrants
Parents are being advised to boycott the request to disclose their children's country of birth to schools as it could be used for immigration enforcement by the Home Office.
Human Rights organisations fear the information could be accessed by immigration officials once inputted into the national pupil database, effectively turning school administrators "into border guards."
More than 20 campaigners, including Liberty policy director Bella Sankey, have written to Education Secretary Justine Greening, urging her to abandon plans to collect the data on every child between the age of two and 19 living in England.
Ms Sankey writes: "Our concern is that the new data collected will be shared with the Home Office and used for immigration enforcement purposes."
The concerned director claimed Liberty has already seen an increase in data sharing since the Government announced its commitment to creating a 'hostile environment' for undocumented migrants.
Fears that further 'sharing' will continue has sparked concerns among Human Rights groups with Ms Sankey saying: "Such measures deter vulnerable children and families from accessing essential services and exercising their human rights in our communities."
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A report by School Week found many schools were demanding copies of children's passports despite disclosure of country of birth not being compulsory under the new census.
Confusion about parents being asked for the first time to declare which country their child was born in has sparked the debate with Gracie Mae Bradley, from Against Borders for Children, branding it "risky and unnecessary."
She said: "Schools should be a place where all children are treated equally.
"We are deeply concerned this data will be made available much more widely outside the schools system, which cannot be acceptable."
The free movement blog promotes the national boycott, urging parents not to provide schools with the requested information in a bid to "protect young people from this dangerous threat to their privacy."
A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "Collecting this data will help ensure out children receive the best possible education.
"These data items will not be passed to the Home Office. They are solely for internal Department for Education use for analysis, statistics and research."
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