The Government has offered local authorities thousands of pounds of funding in an effort to transfer unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) from temporary hotels to long-term care.
Currently, the Government spends more than £5m a day accommodating asylum seekers and Afghan refugees in hotels, including children who have sought asylum without any adult relatives.
In order to help councils move unaccompanied asylum-seeking children into more suitable accommodation, the Government has offered support funding of £6,000 per child for the first three months.
Following this three-month period, councils will continue to receive up to £143 a day to support any unaccompanied children and £270 per week for all former UASC care leavers in their area.
Today’s announcement means once a referral is made under the National Transfer Scheme, councils will have five working days rather than 10, to carry out the transfer.
Minister for safe and legal migration Kevin Foster: ‘The Government cannot deal with the impact of the rise in dangerous and illegal small boat crossings alone which is why I welcome the support from councils to help us reduce the cost of hotels and quickly move unaccompanied asylum-seeking children so they receive the care they need.
‘Any council which moves a child from a hotel to their care under the new scheme will receive support funding of £6,000 per child for the first three months to give them the best possible start.’
