‘Looking after asylum-seeking children shows our compassion in Renfrewshire’
Councillor is proud of local authority’s record
Renfrewshire has reaffirmed its commitment to caring for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) after the council agreed to join the National Transfer Scheme (NTS).
The NTS is a mechanism that allows for UASC to be transferred to the care of local authorities other than that which they first arrive in.
When Scotland was first brought into the programme in 2018, the council did not sign up having accepted a number of child refugees at the time through the Vulnerable Child Resettlement Scheme, which reduced the availability of placements and specialist staff.
But after the children’s services department recently identified some capacity, elected members agreed unanimously at the latest full council meeting to partake in the scheme.
Renfrewshire has offered shelter and refuge to UASC for the past two decades.
Councillor Derek Bibby, who used to be a social work manager in Renfrewshire, said it had been one of the local authority’s greatest achievements and was delighted with the decision to join the NTS.
“Over the last 20 years, Renfrewshire has in many ways set the standard for other local authorities in Scotland offering shelter and refuge to UASC, many of whom arrived into Glasgow Airport from war-torn countries having experienced unimaginable trauma,” said Councillor Bibby.
“Part of my previous job as a social work manager in both Renfrewshire and Glasgow was to find homes and care settings for these children and I well remember the phone calls in the early hours of the morning with another child requiring refuge.
“Hearing some of their stories was harrowing.
“It is testimony to the compassion of the people of Renfrewshire who took these children into their hearts. As a result, many of them have made Renfrewshire their home and have undoubtedly enriched our communities.
“This remains one of Renfrewshire Council’s finest achievements since it was created in 1996.
“I am therefore delighted the council has agreed to maintain that proud record and join the National Transfer Scheme.”
Joining the NTS is voluntary and uptake has reportedly been relatively low amongst councils since its inception in England in 2016.
Over the last few years, unprecedented numbers of children have been entering the UK as UASC, with the majority of new arrivals becoming known to immigration services and councils in the south-east of England.
This has placed a lot of demand on services in that region. The NTS is designed to ease pressures on areas of high traffic, such as those with busy airports or direct travel links to and from the European mainland.
Renfrewshire Council will now be able to apply for children to be transferred from its care as well as accept them from other local authority areas.
The Home Office provides direct funding to councils as reimbursement for the care and support of UASC but the elected members did agree to write to the UK Government to get full assurance of this.
This remains one of Renfrewshire Council’s finest achievements