Shropshire looking after more lone asylum-seeking children

Data from the Department of Education shows 31 lone asylum-seeking children were in care in Shropshire on March 31, up from 24 the year before.

15 were in care in Telford & Wrekin, up from seven the year before.

The Children's Society is warning that local authorities, already stretched to capacity and struggling to find placements for children in care, are leaving young people at risk.

The figures show that asylum-seeking children represent a small fraction of those in care in the region - just 0.37 per cent.

Overall, 7,411 children were being looked after in Shropshire at the end of March in the area with 426 placed in foster care, 5,067 children were being looked after in Telford & Wrekin, with 320 placed in foster care.

Marieke Widmann, Children’s Society policy and practice advisor said: “Children arrive here alone, after a traumatic and dangerous journey, separated from their families and loved ones – some may even have been trafficked to the UK – it’s absolutely essential that they get the right support and protection in place and quickly.

“There has been a big jump in the number of children put in unregulated placements, up by 23%, and without the right safeguards, these young people are at a massive disadvantage and risk of going missing, being sexually exploited, groomed or coerced into criminal activity like county lines. "

She added it is crucial that the Government provides local authorities with the funding and resources necessary to care for children.

Across the country, 5,570 unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors were being looked after by local authorities at the end of March – the largest number since records began in 2004 and up 34 per cent on the year before.

The Government said the large increase in asylum seeking children reflects the increase in the number of asylum seekers arriving on small boats on the south coast.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Every child deserves a safe and secure home, no matter their background, and local authorities have a responsibility to provide appropriate care for all children in their care."

They added the department recognises the number of children in care has increased and is focused on creating stable homes for them by “removing barriers and reducing delays in adoption".

They said: "We are also investing millions to create high-quality, safe homes for some of the most vulnerable children or to refurbish existing homes, ahead of a bold reform plan to fundamentally improve children’s social care."

Kent looked after the largest number of asylum-seeking children in England during the period analysed, with 370 in care in the area. It was followed by Hillingdon with 139 children and Manchester with 138.