Cornwall will house 74 asylum seeker children

It is expected 23 children will arrive by the end of January, with an additional 51 over the coming months, Cornwall Council said

Cornwall will house 74 asylum seeker children in 2022.

It is expected 23 children will arrive by the end of January, with an additional 51 over the coming months, Cornwall Council said.

The authority said it had been approached by the government to provide help for unaccompanied children.

The government will pay councils £143 per night per child for those placed in their areas, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Barbara Ellenbroek, Cornwall Council Cabinet member for children and families, said: "We have to work with our partners to make sure that we have the right facilities and accommodation for these children".

Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: "Children who arrive in the UK on their own seeking safety are highly vulnerable.

"They must receive local authority care immediately, a responsibility that must be shared equitably by all local authorities in the UK.

"This important decision should reduce the unacceptable delays in vulnerable children, who have often experienced great trauma, getting the vital care they need and is a very welcome move."

Kevin Foster, the minister for safe and legal migration, said: "It's right we do all we can to protect unaccompanied asylum seeking children, many of whom have gone through dangerous journeys and been exploited by despicable people smugglers."