Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children
The SW SMP supports Local Authorities in the region in their meeting their statutory requirements to accommodate these young people should they present in their areas and in addition supporting and encouraging participation in the National Transfer Scheme (NTS)
The NTS has been built on regions taking a proportion of UASC in relation to their current looked after child population, with no region expected to exceed 0.07% UASC and refugee children as a proportion of the total child population in their area. These are planned arrivals, transferred to areas on a voluntary basis and differ from the statutory responsibilities that arise from ‘spontaneous arrivals’ (e.g. lorry drops or arrivals via ports).
The SW SMP support the facilitation of UASC in the region by hosting a quarterly UASC forum meeting, which is attended by all local government and voluntary sector organisations representatives and partner agencies including; Home Office, Health and Police.
Please get in touch with info@swcouncils.gov.uk for further information.
Definition of UASC
An unaccompanied asylum seeking child (UASC) is a person who:
a) is under 18 years of age when the asylum application is submitted.
b) is applying for asylum in their own right; and
c) is separated from both parents and is not being cared for by an adult who in law or by custom has responsibility to do so.
(para. 352ZD Immigration Rules).
Asylum Dispersal
Resettlement Scheme
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
Find out about membership
To find out more about SW Councils’ membership, visit our membership page.