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Illegal immigrants who survived the Grenfell fire will be able to apply to stay longer in the UK and potentially remain indefinitely, the Home Office has said.

However, a support group helping survivors of the blaze which killed about 80 people has said the move does not go far enough.

Under the original special policy for Grenfell survivors, those without legal status in the UK were offered up to 12 months to remain.

The new changes mean those who come forward before November 30 may be able to extend up to five years, after which they may be eligible for permanent residency.

The offer is subject to security, criminality and fraud checks.

Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis said the move came after consultation with survivors of the inferno in the early hours of June 14.

He said: “The Government believes it is right to provide this specific group of survivors greater certainty over their long-term future in the UK, subject to their continued eligibility and the necessary security and criminality checks being met.”

However, a victim support group helping Grenfell survivors said the changes did not go far enough.

Khatija Sacranie, a lawyer who co-founded Grenfell Legal Support, said the announcement “creates an avenue, but there isn’t a guarantee”.

Survivors could still be found by Home Office checks to not be eligible for the special leave to remain programme, she said.

She added: “It still doesn’t go far as it needs to. What we want to know is will there be an opportunity, on a no-name basis, to discuss cases before people come forward?”

Nobody knows exactly how many undocumented survivors of Grenfell there are since some are thought to be too frightened to present themselves for fear they could be deported.

The Guardian has reported that some survivors are too scared even to go to A&E because of their illegal immigration status.