Dr Kimberly Ehntholt, clinical psychologist and lead practitioner foryoung refugee mental health in Lambeth, told Children Now that mentalhealth services were encountering more asylum-seeking children andfamilies in "extremely distressed states".
She said the rise follows the removal of an exemption that allowsasylum-seeking families with a child who has been in school for morethan a year to remain in London. As a result of the policy change, manyfamilies who refused to leave the capital have been made homeless andare living on subsistence support from the National Asylum SupportService.
Dr Ehntholt said the children she had seen had not experienced mentalhealth problems before pressure was put on their families to leaveLondon.
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