Kent Council Leaders Condemn 'Unfair' Asylum System Over 12,000 Child Arrivals
Council bosses in Kent have launched a scathing critique of what they describe as an 'unfair' asylum system, revealing that the authority has taken in a staggering 12,000 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children over the past ten years alone. The figures represent a dramatic tripling from the 4,000 children who entered care between 2006 and 2015, placing what local leaders term 'exceptional demands' on already strained services.
A 'Perfect Storm' in Children's Services
Reform UK council leader Linden Kemkaran has issued a stark warning about the mounting pressures, predicting they will culminate in a 'perfect storm' for children's services across the county. This strain has been highlighted by Ofsted's recent decision to downgrade the local authority's performance rating for child care leavers from 'outstanding' to 'requires improvement'.
Ms Kemkaran directly linked these rising pressures to long-term underfunding specifically for unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC). She emphasised that despite the implementation of a National Transfer Scheme (NTS) in 2023, designed to help distribute care responsibilities across local authorities more evenly, Kent continues to shoulder disproportionately high numbers.
The Legacy of Delayed Decisions and Funding Cuts
The council leader attributed the ongoing crisis to systemic issues within the asylum process, citing significant delays in asylum decisions and the absence of family or community networks for many young arrivals. Official government figures from the end of September 2025 show that 80,841 people were awaiting a decision on their asylum application, with 9,656 children granted asylum between July and September that same year.
Ms Kemkaran stated that the continued arrival of small boats, even in reduced numbers, combines with 'sustained high numbers of unaccompanied children, complex and delayed immigration processes and some of the highest housing costs in the country' to create an unsustainable situation. 'No council, no matter how well run, can absorb this sustained underfunding indefinitely,' she declared.
Financial Strain and Care Leaver Crisis
The financial burden is particularly acute for care leavers—young people aged 16-25 who have been in care. Councils retain a duty of care until individuals turn 25, but Government funding ceases entirely after the age of 21. The weekly support rate plummets from £1,100 for those under 18 to just £270 for care leavers.
Currently, Kent County Council is responsible for 1,012 UASC care leavers, compared to 893 British citizen care leavers. Ofsted's inspection found it 'extremely problematic' for care leavers with undecided immigration status to access education, training, or employment, while the authority's alternative support offer was deemed 'poor'. The watchdog called for urgent improvements to accommodation quality and support, especially for those vulnerable to exploitation.
Political Recriminations and Council Tax Rises
The crisis has sparked fierce political debate. Deputy opposition leader Richard Streatfield accused the Reform administration of 'failing' in its outcomes for care leavers, suggesting improvements could be funded through better use of existing council resources. He described the focus on asylum pressures as 'a smoke screen for failure to be a good corporate parent by Reform'.
Mr Streatfield argued that the council had long been aware of the impending 'bulge' in cases working through the system and questioned why adequate funding had not been secured. 'Because we forget in this whilst UASC children are being blamed, it's actually 800 care leavers from Kent who are feeling the result of this failure,' he stated.
Amid this turmoil, the council is predicted to increase council tax by 3.99 per cent in its upcoming budget for the next financial year, a move likely to further inflame tensions as services struggle under the weight of what local leaders describe as a fundamentally broken and ineffective national system.
