Cost of caring for asylum seeking children is rising

Budget increased due to rise in number of children being cared for MORE THAN 100 BEING LOOKED AFTER BY COUNTY

THE cost of caring for unaccompanied asylum seeking children in the county is rising.

Leicestershire County Council said it has 103 unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) in its care, but said the total is volatile because children arrive “spontaneously”.

A report said the authority has already overspent on UASCs by “about £1 million” this year.

If the number of under 18s continues to rise at the same rate, it would cost the authority £750,000 more than it has budgeted for next year, with an overspend of £1.5 million by 2023/24.

Councillor Ivan Ould, cabinet member for children’s services, said: “Of course we want to help these people.

“It’s the right thing to do and we want to offer them support.

“But there is an issue when it comes to the costings. There is no way to plan for these arrivals, there is no way to budget for these arrivals and we can’t claw back the costs from government.

“Central government is not paying the full cost but it controls the influx of people.”

The majority of young people arrive via East Midlands Airport and Leicester Forest East service station.

Coun Ould said: “A lot of the time we are alerted to young people wandering around near the service station or the airport and looking a bit lost, waiting to be found.”

He recalled on one occasion, 11 children arriving on the same flight from Vietnam all claimed asylum.

“It’s difficult because when they fly here we can’t always establish where from or how they paid for their flight.

“They are very vulnerable, we have to quickly try to establish if they have been trafficked or if they are here to meet others.

“It’s important we act quickly as, as soon as they arrive, we are legally responsible for them.”

The council’s children’s and families scrutiny committee was told the department as a whole is set to overspend by almost £8 million.

Jane Moore, director of children’s services, said: “The demand on this budget does continue to increase, as it has done over the past few financial years, and is a direct result of an increase in the number of children coming into the county.

“Currently, there are 103 unaccompanied asylum seeking children for whom we have responsibility, compared with 89 in April.”

She said based on 2018/19 figures, the Home Office will give the county £230,000 more, but officers warned it is not enough to plug the gap.

Social workers work out how old UASCs are and find out as much as they can about where they have come from, their journey and why they are now here.

Coun Ould said: “They may present to us as being lost but quite often they are here to meet people.

“If they tell us they have family already here, we are obliged to help get them to them.”

Asylum seekers found to be 18 or over become the responsibility of the Home Office.

Of course we want to help these people. But there is an issue when it comes to the costings