Kent to open nine properties to house lone migrant children

Kent said it has identified nine properties across the county as migrant arrivals continue to grow.

The council currently has two centres which provide temporary accommodation for unaccompanied children while they wait to be transferred to other local authorities under the National Transfer Scheme (NTS).

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The High Court ruled in July last year that Kent had acted unlawfully by failing to accommodate and look-after unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in their area after leaders said it was “unsafe” to take responsibility for any more in 2020 and 2021.

It also ruled that Home Office use of hotels, where children are denied local authority protection and care, as a source of accommodation was unlawful. A significant number of unaccompanied children housed in hotels since 2021 have gone missing.

Kent was ordered to take all possible steps to accommodate unaccompanied children arriving in the county by increasing its care capacity.

The judge praised Kent in a follow-up judgment last November, saying use of hotels had been significantly cut by increasing the council’s care capacity, backed by £9.75m in government funding.

However, since last year’s rulings, new arrivals have increased.

Kent County Council leader Roger Gough said: “Although the council has continued to work hard to accommodate them safely, the existing provision is unable to sustainably cope with demand and additional, suitable temporary accommodation is needed at pace to meet the requirements of the High Court ruling and to ensure the ongoing safe care of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

“As required by the Court, Kent County Council has been working closely with the Home Office on the provision of appropriate levels of accommodation to meet the required anticipated need.”

The nine new properties will be run by Kent County Council employees and paid for by ringfenced central government funding.

Gough added: “By bringing these properties into use as new reception centres, the council believes it will be better placed to meet the requirements of the court ruling and its statutory duties under the Children’s Act 1989.”