Number of asylum-seeking children arriving rises by 87%

Kent County Council took in 1,165 lone asylum-seeking children in the first six months of the year

The number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) arriving in Kent rose sharply in the first six months of the year, new figures show.

Kent County Council (KCC) took in 1,165 children between January and June, compared to 624 in the same period last year - a rise of 87%.

The council only has two available reception centres to accommodate the children, while it has only acquired five out of the seven new facilities it needs.

Council leader Roger Gough told colleagues on Thursday morning that the council had "come close a couple of times" to its capacity being exceeded.

Small boats crossings across the English Channel are expected to spike while the weather is more favourable over summer.

Over 14,000 people have made the journey in small boats so far this year, with the French Coastguard reporting on Friday that four migrants had died after a boat capsized during an attempted crossing.

A report published for the council meeting said: "The number of children arriving into the United Kingdom along Kent’s coastline continues to place a significant pressure on our children’s services."

The High Court ruled in July 2023 that KCC must take "every possible step" to increase its capacity to accommodate those arriving in the country.

'Disproportionate burden'

KCC had previously said it had identified seven sites in Kent which it intended to use as reception centres for UAS children, with funding provided by the government.

It has acquired five sites, with the report saying the first was expected to open "in the coming weeks".

A previous council report suggested the council had aimed to acquire all seven sites by the end of January.

A care home in Sheppey previously pulled out of a deal that would see the building accommodate UASC.

The council referred the BBC to a previous statement from Mr Gough in which he said: "We are establishing the additional reception centres and will identify other suitable locations to accommodate the increasing numbers of unaccompanied minors arriving on our shores."

KCC said another site was in the "planning application process".

In the report published yesterday, KCC's general counsel Ben Watts said it had "for far too long been expected to shoulder a large and disproportionate burden by itself".

"This has meant that KCC has effectively been required to find solutions for a national problem, dictated by global migration patterns, within the very limited resources and tools available to a local authority," he said.

He noted a "clear opportunity" for the new Labour government to help make "positive and long-lasting changes" to the system.

The Home Office was contacted for comment.