Rashida's story - "The government needs to recognise that the future does not distinguish between children"

What is good for the British child is good for the immigrant child. Our children have no other place called home. The Government’s policies need to be inclusive of everyone. Every child deserves childcare and free school meals. Every parent deserves a balance between their work and family life.

This country is always talking about what immigrants contribute to the economy. I can tell you that whatever a child is going to contribute to the economy is not determined by whether the child is born by a British parent, or British by nationality. Children will give back to where they know to be their country.

We all want the betterment of this country, because in that betterment we drive our own joy.

If the government recognises the fact that children are the assets of the economy who are going to contribute to the future of this country, it is natural that the government should stop stigmatising immigrants.

I feel like the system is deliberately targeting the migrant families because this is a country where we understand work life balance is important for the mental health of everyone. But in our own situation, we are expected to work like robots. There is no time for work life balance. And at the end of the day, when you retire, you retire with illness, with terminal diseases, because you have not looked after yourself. You have not paid attention to your own children. We shouldn't forget the fact that these children need us. When we neglect their needs in order to also meet the needs of the family, it bounces back on our children.

You don't have quality of life. You've never had. You would never have anything called quality of life. And our children don't gain experience because there's not even time for a holiday. Your children ask for it. You have to sit them down. A child will not understand the reason why. As a child, you don’t understand why you don't belong. Why you're different because of the colour of your skin, because of the decision your parents have made.

 And I still don't know the reason why children are the targets.