Ilona Pinter
CASE Research Assistant
Biography
Ilona completed her doctorate at CASE in July 2024. Her thesis is entitled ‘Living a differentiated childhood: children and families’ experiences of poverty and material deprivation within the UK’s Asylum Support system’ and focuses on the financial support provided to children and families seeking asylum in the UK, who are generally restricted from employment. Before doing her PhD, Ilona worked as a Policy and Research Manager at The Children’s Society leading the organisation’s policy and research work on child poverty, destitution, asylum, immigration and human trafficking. There she managed policy and research projects on destitution within the immigration and asylum system, legal aid for separated children and the impact of family debt on children’s mental-health and well-being. She also co-chaired the Refugee and Migrant Children’s Consortium, a coalition of over 100 organisations and experts across the UK working collaboratively to promote the rights and welfare of children and young people within the UK’s asylum and immigration system. In 2021 she co-founded and currently chairs a knowledge exchange initiative – the Migrant Poverty Data and Evidence group – which brings together over 40 academics with representatives from think tanks, civil society and statutory agencies interested in migrant poverty policy issues. The group meets quarterly and provides a space to hear about emerging research and policy developments, including issues related to ‘no recourse to public funds’ restrictions and statutory safety net support.
Ilona Pinter's current research interests are:
- Child poverty
- Asylum and immigration policy
- Children’s rights and welfare
- Racial discrimination and inequality
- Social care
- Access to justice
Ilona's latest projects include:
- Understanding child poverty in migrant households in the UK using the Family Resources Survey – with Dr Tania Burchardt (PI) funded by the Department of Social Policy
- The Needs of Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children and Young People living in London – with Dr Helen Connolly, University of Bedfordshire (PI) and funded by London Councils
- Integrating Care in Labour Migration Systems: the Transnational Recruitment of Care Workers - with Dr Isabel Shutes (PI) funded by the Leverhulme Trust
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