Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking and Refugee Children

Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking and Refugee Children
ADCS Safeguarding Pressures Phase 5 Special Thematic Report
This thematic report draws together returns from over 100 local authorities in England and supplements this with national data and a literature review to provide an insight into the characteristics and needs of unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee children and the services available or being developed by councils to meet these needs.
The report uses data included in the ADCS Safeguarding Pressures Phase 5 research, which will be published towards the end of November.
This research shows that:
- As at 31 March 2016 local authorities were supporting 4,689 unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC). However, in intervening months there has been a sharp increase in arrivals of unaccompanied children largely driven by the clearance of the Calais migrant camp, the Dubs Amendment to the Immigration Act and children being transferred under Dublin III arrangements which means that the total number of UASC to date is significantly larger today and is set to grow further in the coming weeks and months
- 76% of unaccompanied children and young people arriving in the UK were aged 16-17 and over 90% were male, this picture is likely to change as more and more children are reunited in this country under Dublin III arrangements
- The most prevalent countries of origin for UASC arriving in the UK were found to be Afghanistan, Eritrea, Albania, Iran, Vietnam, Iraq and Syria; regions with long-running conflicts, political instability, and a poor record on human rights
- Local authorities highlighted the mental and physical health of UASCs arriving in the UK as a common concern, over a third of young people displayed psychological symptoms upon arrival, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, flashbacks and depression
- A growing concern for local authorities is finding a suitable placement that meets the needs of each child or young person arriving in the UK, over 75% of respondents talked about the struggle to find placements. With the majority of UASC placed in foster care the national shortage of foster care placements was cited as the main challenge for most authorities
- Using data provided by dozens of responding local authorities ADCS has calculated that the grant funding provided by the Home Office covers on average 50% of the costs of caring for a UASC.
Related Articles
Jenny Coles comment on DfE children looked after statistics
In Safeguarding & Child Protection
Commenting on the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman’s report, ADCS...
In Safeguarding & Child Protection
Safeguarding Pressures Phase 7 Interim Report
In Safeguarding & Child Protection
ADCS and LGA National Transfer Scheme consultation questionnaire response
In Asylum
Advice relating to minors returning from Syria
In Safeguarding & Child Protection
Analysis of Local Authority costs and pressures incurred in support of Former...
In Asylum
Jenny Coles responds to the national learning review on child criminal...
In Safeguarding & Child Protection
ADCS response to the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel’s first...
In Safeguarding & Child Protection
Jenny Coles responds to the triennial analysis of SCRs 2014 to 2017 report
In Safeguarding & Child Protection
Too many young lives are being lost as a result of growing violence in our...
In Safeguarding & Child Protection
ADCS response to the Home Office consultation on the new knife crime prevention...
In Safeguarding & Child Protection
Jenny Coles comments on new multi-agency safeguarding arrangements