Kent's sharp rise in lone asylum-seeking children

Many of the unaccompanied asylum-seeking children arriving in Kent cross the English Channel on small boats

The number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children arriving in Kent has risen by 59% in a year, as the county council warns it is at risk of being "overwhelmed".

Its leader said a national scheme to transfer children to other local authorities was still "inadequate", despite the number of transfers increasing.

Council figures show the number of arrivals in Kent rose from 1,405 in 2022 to 2,228 last year - the highest total in recent records.

A Home Office spokesperson said it was continuing to work with local authorities, including Kent County Council (KCC), to help them fulfil statutory duties to accommodate the children.

'Unfair burden'

The number of children being transferred from Kent to other local authorities as part of the mandatory National Transfer Scheme has also grown.

KCC transferred 833 children in 2022, while the total more than doubled to 1,829 in 2023, according to data shared with the BBC by the council.

But KCC leader Roger Gough argued the scheme was still not moving unaccompanied asylum-seeking (UAS) children to other UK local authorities quickly enough.

He said: "For many years, we have asserted the need for an efficient and timely National Transfer Scheme (NTS).

"It is the only viable solution to the unfair and unsustainable burden on Kent children’s services and residents from increasing arrivals of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children on Kent’s shores."

Mr Gough warned numbers were likely to increase as warmer weather in the coming months makes the English Channel "more favourable to crossings".

He says there is a "clear and present danger of our capacity being overwhelmed".

Since 2022, all local authorities with children's services in the UK have been required to participate in the transfer scheme.

• More than 700 people arrive by small boats in a day

• Arrival centres planned for asylum children

The High Court ruled last year that Kent must take "every possible step" to increase its capacity to accommodate and look after all UAS children arriving in the county.

It also said the government must ensure the council had the resources needed to comply with its ruling.

As a result, the government has given the council cash to acquire seven new properties to serve as temporary accommodation for UAS children.

Mr Gough said: "Whilst Kent is now building increased capacity, the court recognised that this could not be the sole answer to resolving the dire situation faced by these vulnerable Children.

"Importantly, Mr Justice Chamberlain instructed the Home Office to urgently review the NTS and submit an appropriate, effective plan to facilitate timely transfers of UAS children out of Kent and equitably into the care of other UK local authorities.

"It must include a comprehensive emergency response plan to prevent Kent’s services becoming overwhelmed."

Kent has faced setbacks in its quest to locate sites, with the owners of a care home in Sheppey recently pulling out of a deal.

The Local Government Association (LGA) warned that while councils worked "extremely hard" to support UAS children, funding and recruitment challenges across children's social care were making the situation "increasingly difficult".

“Councils receive some funding from the Home Office, however this does not cover the true cost of supporting the rising numbers of children arriving and meeting the needs of care leavers who came as lone children," an LGS spokesperson said.

The Home Office spokesperson said: “We take the safety and welfare of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children extremely seriously and providing care placements for them is a national issue that requires participation from local authorities".