In recent years there has been a significant increase in the number of young unaccompanied asylum-seekers arriving in the UK. Is Britain honouring its international obligations towards them? What do separated refugee children think of the kind of welcome they have received? What areas of good practice should be replicated?

A national report and seven accompanying regional audits from Save the Children UK reveal what life is really like for young separated refugees in the care of local authorities across the UK. The testimony of 125 young refugees, and those who work with them, highlights gaps in provision of services to these vulnerable young people. Detailed recommendations directed at local and national policymakers have relevance for other industrialised nations.

The greatest number of unaccompanied children are from Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka, and Turkey. The majority are in the south-east of the UK. Over four thousand unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are being supported by boroughs in London. Other children not known to the immigration services have been smuggled in or trafficked and there is a concern that these children are exposed to prostitution, child pornography, sweatshop labour, forced begging, pickpocketing and drugs trafficking.

Britain has signed up to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) but has reserved the right to not apply the UNCRC to asylum-seeking and other non-citizen children. Though the Children's Act and Human Rights Act for England and Wales enshrine the rights of all children to education and healthcare, in practice many asylum-seeking and refugee children do not receive the level of care and protection that they need. A critical provision of the Children Act (Section 20), which brings a wider range of services and support, is often denied to unaccompanied children.

The report also notes that:

• A quarter of the young people in the sample had chaotic experiences on arrival in the UK and received little or no support.
• Some local authority staff having contact with young people believe their managers are concerned not to improve reception provision, lest they attract young asylum-seekers from elsewhere in England.
• There are differences in the level of financial support available to young people - the so-called 'lottery of care' - although local authorities all have access to the same grant.
• European Union guidelines currently being developed could put pressure on the UK to improve its treatment of this group of young people.

If Britain is to score higher marks, it must:

• drop its reservation on applying the UNCRC to asylum-seeking children
• provide more funds to enable local authorities to support young separated refugees
• stop dispersing young refugees to other parts of the UK when they turn 18
• ensure each young person receives a full needs-led assessment and is provided with appropriate accommodation, English language, and other training and cash support
• speed up procedures for assessing asylum applications from separated children.

Source(s):
‘Cold Comfort - Young separated refugees in England’ by Kate Stanley, Save the Children UK, 2001 Full document.

Funded by: Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund

id21 Research Highlight: 5 February 2002

Further Information:
Elli Free
Young Separated Refugees Project
Save the Children
Cambridge House
Cambridge Grove
London W6 0LE
UK

Tel: +44 (0)20 8741 4054 x124
Fax: +44 (0)20 8741 4505
Contact the contributor: e.free@scfuk.org.uk

Save the Children, UK

Other related links:
'Involvement and empowerment. Better HIV prevention and education for Britain's refugees'

The State of the World's Refugees Report 2000

See the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children

The Children and Armed Conflict Unit provides reports on the impact on children

The Refugee Studies Centre features further related research