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<p>The department takes the welfare of all unaccompanied children extremely seriously
and is committed to ensuring they are properly safeguarded. Statutory duties placed
on the local authority in respect of unaccompanied children will apply to any child
arriving in the UK who has been separated from their parents and family.</p><p>In
England Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 (CA89) imposes a general duty on local
authorities to safeguard and promote the welfare of ‘children in need’ in their area.
Section 20 CA89 imposes a duty to accommodate children in need if they meet the relevant
criteria.</p><p>Generally, once a child has been accommodated by a local authority
continuously for more than 24 hours, they become a looked after child and should be
safeguarded and have their welfare promoted in the same way as any other looked after
child, taking account of their particular needs. Any child separated from their parents
and family would likely remain accommodated by the local authority, until such time
as they can be re-united when possible and appropriate.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
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