The government has stated that it would expedite the transition of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) from short-term lodging to long-term care to assist lower the multi-million pound cost of lodging to the UK taxpayer and ensure that kids get the care they need.
Due to the adjustments, which are a part of the New Plan for Immigration, UASC will spend less time staying in hotels and more time in long-term housing that is tailored to their requirements.
The government already spends more than £5 million per day on housing Afghan refugees and asylum seekers at hotels like UASC.
The administration is moving quickly to improve the flawed asylum system and stop the use of hotels by asylum seekers.
The Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda, our new Borders Act, plans for asylum reception centres, and a more equitable asylum dispersal system are just a few of the many initiatives the government is implementing as part of its New Plan for Immigration to combat illegal immigration and the strains it has placed on our asylum system.
Kevin Foster, the minister for safe and legal migration, said: I welcome the support from councils to help us reduce the cost of hotels and swiftly move unaccompanied asylum-seeking children so they receive the care they need.
The government cannot deal with the impact of the rise in dangerous and illegal small boat crossings alone.
To give them the greatest start possible, any municipality that transfers a kid from a hotel to their care under the new programme would get assistance money of £6,000 per child for the first three months.
With today’s ruling, authorities will have five working days instead of ten to take in an unaccompanied child seeking refuge from hotel housing after receiving a referral under the National Transfer Scheme.
In addition to the additional £20 million in government money that was announced last year, councils will also get new funds to support the implementation of the programme reforms.
If councils relocate a UASC from a hotel to a placement within five working days, they will earn an extra £2,000 per kid per month for the first three months.
Councils will thereafter continue to receive up to £143 per day for any UASC and £270 per week for all UASC care leavers in their region.
As a result of further amendments made by the Home Office, authorities must now make placements based on a minimum of 0.1% UASC as a proportion of their total child population.
Children will now be allocated equitably across councils as a result of the adjustment.
Between January 2021 and March 2022, more than 1,730 children were moved to councils providing children’s services under the NTS, which became required in February 2022.