Delays in the asylum process are having a negative impact on the wellbeing of thousands of vulnerable unaccompanied children and the ability of councils to properly plan support for them, experts have warned.
Earlier this year, the High Court granted permission for judicial review in a claim challenging lengthy delays in deciding asylum applications made by unaccompanied children.
The case (see below) has highlighted the backlog in Home Office decision making for asylum applications from unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
Figures obtained through the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act by lawyers involved in the case show that nearly two-thirds of 3,457 unaccompanied children had waited longer than six months for a decision on their asylum application.
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