Asylum: Kent

(asked on 14th October 2020) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what provision she is making for the education, health and mental welfare of unaccompanied asylum seekers detained in the Kent Intake Unit.


Answered by
Chris Philp Portrait
Chris Philp
Minister of State (Home Office)
This question was answered on 19th October 2020

The Home Office takes its responsibility for the welfare of children seriously and we have very stringent statutory and policy safeguards in place.? We have seen record numbers of arrivals on the south coast in recent weeks and are working hard to make sure every unaccompanied child receives appropriate support.

Unaccompanied children arriving in Dover?are cared for in the Kent Intake Unit (KIU) before being placed in appropriate social services care. Those claiming asylum are only in the KIU whilst their claims are registered; it is not an immigration removal centre.

Children are always prioritised and supported there for as short a period as possible. The KIU also includes a non-detained waiting area where children can await the arrival of local authority social workers. Support is also provided on-site by the Refugee Council. Once a child is in the care of a local authority, they are afforded the same rights as all other looked-after children

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