Government blames councils for sharp reduction in child refugee intake

The Home Office has confirmed only 350 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children would be allowed to enter England by the end of 2016/17, following consultation with local councils.

However, local authority chiefs have blamed government underfunding rather than capacity for their difficulties in meeting demand.

The 350 figure is just over a tenth of the 3,000 children councils expected to resettle under the scheme. The children were due to arrive under the so-called "Dubs amendment" of the Immigration Act 2016 instigated by Lord Dubs, who himself was a refugee to the UK as a child fleeing Nazi Germany.

"As required by the legislation, we have consulted with local authorities on their capacity to care for and support unaccompanied asylum-seeking children before arriving at this number," a written statement set down in parliament yesterday by immigration minister Robert Goodwill said.

"Local authorities told us they have capacity for around 400 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children until the end of this financial year.

He said that at least 50 places of this capacity would be taken up by family reunion cases transferred from France as part of the Calais camp clearance in cases where the family reunion does not work out, meaning the total coming to the UK as a result of the Dubs amendment will be around 350. This figure includes 200 children already transferred from France - meaning just 150 more will come.

A voluntary government scheme to share responsibility for looking after unaccompanied asylum-seeking children was launched last year, but based on the criteria of the scheme councils are not yet at capacity.

Under the national transfer scheme, each council is expected to take on unaccompanied asylum-seeking children up to a level of 0.07 per cent of its child population.

However many councils have been reluctant to take on children, with some deciding to opt out of the scheme altogether. Last month it emerged that Dorset County Council is the latest authority to consider quitting the scheme, claiming the annual cost, over and above the amount it would receive in Home Office contributions, could top £3.6m a year.

The government provided increased funding to local authorities accepting such children, but councils have repeatedly warned that money does not cover the true cost, meaning they have to cover the difference.

A study by the Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS), published in November last year, found that despite Home Office funding of £114 a day for under-16s and £91 a day for 16- and 17-year-olds, the money provided covered on average only 50 per cent of the true cost.

Chris Spencer, director of children's services at Harrow Council, said local authorities were willing to help vulnerable children, but were "nervous" about their ability to do so as a result of limited resources.

"The increase in grant made by the current minister Robert Goodwill was a welcome uplift, but it does not represent full cost recovery for supporting any new arrivals," he said.

Spencer said authorities will soon be forced to find placements for unaccompanied children through private fostering agencies, as councils' own foster care options would be quickly exhausted.

"This is much more expensive and this would be an additional financial burden at a time when council grants are being reduced," he said.

ADCS president Dave Hill said a decision on whether to continue the Dubs resettlement scheme could "only be taken by central government".

"Local authorities have made extraordinary efforts to accommodate and support the children and young people who have arrived through the various resettlement programmes in place locally, regionally and nationally. This is in addition to supporting the unaccompanied children and young people who continue to arrive through unofficial routes," he said.

"As at 31 March 2016 councils were supporting more than 4,600 unaccompanied children and young people - this number is now much higher."

David Simmonds, chair of the Local Government Association asylum, refugee and migration task group, also suggested funding was the major concern for authorities.

"We have long urged government to put in place long-term funding arrangements to ensure that the commitment to support those children starting a new life in the UK is properly funded," he said.

"It is vital that schemes for unaccompanied children are fully aligned, and funded, alongside other existing programmes for resettling refugees, ensuring that councils are able to properly support these vulnerable children while continuing to provide vital services for their local community."

Home Secretary Amber Rudd denied the Dubs scheme had ended during an emergency question debate in the House of Commons.

"I want to be absolutely clear - the scheme is not closed," she said.

"We have done what we are obliged to do and we have correctly put a number on it. We have consulted with local authorities on their capacity to care for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children before arriving at the number. We will continue to work closely to address capacity needs."

The government is due to publish a review into foster care by May, which is set to include strategies on care for asylum-seeking and refugee children.