The Home Office provides funding to all local authorities who look after unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC). The national rate is £41,610 per annum for under 16s and £33,215 per annum for 16 and 17 year olds. We also provide funding for former unaccompanied asylum seeking who turn 18 need leaving care support. This equates to £200 a week. These rates were increased significantly in July 2016 by 20%, 28% and 33% respectively.<\/p>
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The current rates are based on a detailed analysis of financial information send to the Home Office by local authorities about their costs of caring for unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee children.<\/p>
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In August 2017 a review of funding for UASC was launched and all local authorities who currently look after unaccompanied children have been invited to submit evidence.<\/p>
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Funding for children\u2019s services, including looked after children services, is non-ring-fenced and part of the wider local government finance settlement to give local authorities the flexibility to focus on locally determined priorities. It is for local authorities to determine how to spend their non-ring fenced income on the services they provide, including services for looked after children. They do so taking account local need, priorities, and of course their statutory responsibilities.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4009", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Great Yarmouth"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Brandon Lewis"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-11-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-11-21T17:16:32.367Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-11-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Asylum: Children"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what financial assistance her Department provides to local authorities to support (a) unaccompanied asylum seeking children and (b) looked after children (LAC) in the care of the authority.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1566", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Daniel Kawczynski"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Shrewsbury and Atcham"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Daniel Kawczynski"} ], "uin" : "113643"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/790132", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/790132/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Home Office does not hold the information in the format requested<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4009", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Great Yarmouth"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Brandon Lewis"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-11-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-11-20T17:58:40.023Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-11-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Asylum: Children"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people aged 18 to 25 who applied for asylum as unaccompanied children were served with removal directions in (a) 2015, (b) 2016 and (c) 2017.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1506", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Gwynne"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Denton and Reddish"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Andrew Gwynne"} ], "uin" : "113318"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/780577", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/780577/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
In 2016, we transferred over 900 unaccompanied children to the UK from Europe, including more than 750 from France. However, the primary responsibility for unaccompanied children in France lies with the French authorities. It is vital that children claim asylum in France rather than risking their lives by attempting to enter the UK illegally. That is the fastest route to safety.<\/p>
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The Dublin III Regulation allows unaccompanied children who have claimed asylum in another Member State to be transferred here to have their asylum claim assessed if they have a qualifying family member legally present in the UK and transfer would be in their best interests. We continue to work closely with France, other EU Member States and partners to ensure the timely and efficient operation of the Dublin III Regulation, including through regular dialogue and meetings.<\/p>
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We are fully committed to delivering our commitment to transfer the specified number of 480 children under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016. As set out in the published guidance, it is for France to refer children to the UK. We have invited referrals of children who meet the eligibility criteria that they were present in Europe before 20 March 2016 and transfer is in their best interests. In deciding which children to refer, Member States, including France, have been asked to prioritise those likely to qualify for refugee status and/or the most vulnerable. Over 200 children are already here, including transfers this year from France. More eligible children will be transferred from Europe under the scheme in due course.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4009", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Great Yarmouth"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Brandon Lewis"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-11-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-11-14T15:11:38.38Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-10-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Asylum: Children"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that unaccompanied child asylum seekers in France eligible to care in the UK under the (a) Dubs Amendment and (b) Dublin III Regulations are aware of their rights.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/163", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Ham"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Stephen Timms"} ], "uin" : "110237"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/777542", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/777542/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Home Office publishes data on the number of initial decisions for asylum applications from unaccompanied asylum seeking children (under-18 year old applicants) each quarter by nationality in table as_09_q of the Immigration Statistics<\/em> release.<\/p> The latest figures are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/638599/asylum3-apr-jun-2017-tables.ods<\/a> or can be found in the table below:<\/p> Total initial decisions on asylum applications from Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children<\/p>