Ministers have agreed to work with councils to tackle the growing costs of unaccompanied children seeking asylum. Representatives from the Local Government Association, London Councils and Kent CC met with Home Office minister, Liam Byrne, and children, schools and families minister, Kevin Brennan, last week, to discuss the issue. The ministers agreed to work with the 10 most-affected councils, which are looking after a total of 3,500 children and facing a £30m funding shortfall. Kent CC leader, Paul Carter, said the ministers agreed ‘to find a positive solution to the funding crisis within a matter of weeks'. In Kent alone, the county council estimates the funding shortfall is £5m to look after children seeking asylum. ‘We desperately need a long-term solution to this national issue, so that we do not have the same situation year-on-year where the costs of supporting children fall to the taxpayers living in the most affected areas,' added Cllr Carter. ‘The LGA has long had a policy that councils providing services to asylum-seekers should be refunded all reasonably-incurred costs,' said chairman of the LGA task group on asylum and refugees, Cllr Roger Lawrence. ‘It is very good news that the Government is starting to listen to us and has made a commitment to resolve the problem quickly.' A spokesman for the UK Border Agency said: ‘We believe our immigration system needs to be compassionate and sensitive to the needs of children and victims of trafficking. ‘That's why we're studiously fair in the extra cash we give councils to help look after children who claim asylum. ‘We've also proposed new plans for specialist councils to improve care and combat trafficking.'
