CYP Now - Councils face increased pressure to respond to child refugee crisis

Kent Council is struggling to cope with a major rise in the number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children it is caring for, to the point where the government is preparing to force other authorities to share the burden.

The war in Syria and subsequent humanitarian crisis across the Middle East has seen an estimated one million people travel from the region to Europe over the past year, many of them children and young people either travelling with families or alone.

While most end their journeys in mainland Europe, some have entered the UK, mainly via the Channel Tunnel or cross-channel ferry services, coming to the attention of authorities when they first arrive in Kent. Under-18s travelling alone will automatically be placed into the care of Kent County Council, which has seen a 10-fold increase in the number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) it cares for over the past two years (see graphic).

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