Government will reimburse councils for taking child asylum seekers into care

The government has made a commitment to refund any costs that
social services departments incur as a result of measures in the
new asylum bill that could lead to the children of asylum seekers
being taken into care, writes Clare
Jerrom.

Victoria Williams, national liaison officer for asylum seekers
and refugees, told a conference that home office minister Beverley
Hughes had made the pledge during a meeting with the Local
Government Association.

“The minister made a commitment that local authorities
would be able to get funding back if they had to take children into
care as a result of families being denied support,” Williams
said.

Although the asylum bill has no specific measures about taking
children into care, it proposes to end support for families whose
asylum applications have failed and who are able but unwilling to
go home. If families become destitute as a result, the state would
have an obligation to support the children.

According to Williams, Hughes explained at the meeting that
taking children into care would be “a very last
resort”, and the family would have all their options
explained.

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