The Home Office has agreed in principle to reimburse the council for the costs of looking after asylum seekers because asylum is a national issue.
But Kent claims that at the start of the financial year, 14.8m remained outstanding from the Home Office for 2002/03 and 2003/04. A 3.6m budget shortfall is predicted for this year, the majority covering the costs of looking after nearly 800 unaccompanied minors.
One option the council is considering to save money is dismantling the specialist unit that makes sure children who claim to have relatives in other parts of the country are not being trafficked and will be cared for.
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