Unaccompanied Migrant Children
One of the unfortunate results of the Syrian refugee crisis has been the increasing number of unaccompanied children travelling within Europe, living at migrant camps in Calais, and the plight of those trying to make their way to the United Kingdom or other countries within Europe. A Westminster Hall debate on the issue of unaccompanied children will be held on Tuesday 19 April 2016 at 0930hrs. The Member in charge of the debate is David Burrowes.
The Syrian refugee crisis, coupled with the current political situation in the Middle East and North Africa, has resulted in an ever increasing number of unaccompanied migrant children entering Europe. Concerns over these children have been raised by several organisations, especially after Europol warned at least 10,000 unaccompanied children have gone missing since entering Europe.
In January 2016, the Government announced a new initiative to resettle unaccompanied refugee children directly from conflict regions, in addition to the existing Syrian refugee resettlement programme. However, the Government has made it clear that they do not intend to offer resettlement to refugees already in Europe, or participate in the EU relocation schemes. This is despite calls from organisations such as Save the Children who have recently called on the Government to resettle 3,000 child refugees from around Europe.
An amendment to the Immigration Bill 2015-16, moved in the Lords, requires the Home Secretary to make arrangements to relocate to the UK and provide support to 3,000 unaccompanied refugee children currently in other countries in Europe. This amendment was agreed upon by 306 votes to 204.
In 2015, there were 3,043 asylum applications received from Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC). This was a rise of 56% on 2014, and 141% on 2013. More than half of all applications were from Eritrea (694), Afghanistan (656) and Albania (456). An UASC is a person who is under 18 applying for asylum on their own with no relative or guardian in the United Kingdom.
Asylum Applications from Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking ChildrenApplications
Initial Decisions
Grants
Refusals
2006
3,333
2,622
2,086
441
2007
3,489
3,034
2,130
581
2008
3,976
2,718
2,063
511
2009
2,857
2,800
2,224
383
2010
1,515
1,836
1,364
263
2011
1,248
1,066
794
145
2012
1,125
681
504
90
2013
1,265
1,112
758
178
2014
1,945
1,269
834
154
2015
3,043
1,932
1,216
343
Source: Home Office, Immigration Statistics October to December 2015, Data Tables, vol. 3 tables 8 & 9
A full range of statistics on asylum and migration is available from the Home Office Migration Statistics and the Immigration Statistics October to December 2015 Data Tables.
Currently, refugee family reunion rules allow refugees in the UK to be joined by their dependent children under 18. However, there have been calls by campaigners to extend this scheme to other dependent relationships as well. This issue has also been discussed in debate over the Immigration Bill 2015-16.
Concerns have also been raised over what happens to children given asylum status once they turn 18. According to The Children’s Society, most UASCs are given temporary leave to remain which expires once they become 18, meaning they have to reapply for asylum or immigration status. This is a system The Children's Society argues, ‘fails to represent a lasting, permanent solution, leaving young people anxious and uncertain about their future and storing up problems until the young person begins their transition into adulthood’.
Reports from other organisations- The Children’s Society, Westminster Hall Briefing – Unaccompanied Children, April 2016
- The Children’s Society, Not just a temporary fix: Durable solutions for separated migrant children, August 2015
- Save the Children, Save the Children Calls on UK Government to Relocate 1,500 Lone Migrant Children
- Save the Children, Risk of a lost generation in Syria as more than 3,000 children flee their homes every day, 4 February 2016
- Refugee Children’s Consortium, Briefings and Submissions, (various)
The following is a small selection of press and media articles which may be relevant to this debate. Please note, the Library is not responsible for the views expressed in, nor the accuracy of, external content.
- Guardian, Unaccompanied children as young as six arriving at British ports, 13 April 2016
- Guardian, Calais’s youths: the unaccompanied minors left in political limbo, 13 April 2016
- Bureau of Investigative Journalism, INFOGRAPHIC: The 95,000 Unaccompanied Children Seeking Asylum in 2015 – Their Voices and Numbers, 11 April 2016
- Independent, Calais ‘Jungle’: 129 unaccompanied children missing since refugee camp demolition, 2 April 2016
- Conservative Home, David Burrows MP: What the Government needs to get out of the Syrian Refugees Summit, 30 March 2016
- Guardian, UK MPs demand urgent help for unaccompanied children at Calais camp, 21 March 2016
- Mirror, Child refugees trapped in Calais jungle camps arrive in Britain to be reunited with their families, 21 March 2016
- BBC News, Peers defeat government to allow 3,000 child refugees in UK, 21 March 2016
- Guardian, 10,000 refugee children are missing, says Europol, 30 January 2016
The migration crisis in Europe and what the UK Government is doing to assist has been regularly debated in Parliament over recent years. The following is a small selection of the most recent business in relation to unaccompanied children:
- Resettlement of unaccompanied refugee children [HCWS497], 28 January 2016
- WH debate, UNHCR: Admission Pathways for Syrian Refugees, HC Deb 16 March 2016 c327WH
- Calais: Child Refugees [HL Deb 29 February 2016 c624]
- Oral Questions: Unaccompanied Child Migrants, 11 April 2016
- Oral Questions: Asylum (Unaccompanied Children), 11 April 2016
- WH debate, Refugees: UK Government Policy, HC Deb 10 February 2016 c660WH
- WH debate, Syrian Refugees: Resettlement, HC Deb 27 January 2016 c151WH
- Save the Children’s 3,000 Unaccompanied Children Campaign [EDM666], 5 November 2015
- Home Affair Select Committee, Migration Crisis Inquiry, (open)
The following House of Commons Library briefings provide further background to this debate:
- The UK’s family reunion rules: striking the right balance?, CBP7511
- Syrian refugees and the UK, SN06805
- Immigration Bill 2015-16: Lords amendments, CBP7558
- Asylum Statistics, SN01403
- The EU’s response to the migration crisis: recent developments, CBP7430
- Three debates relating to migration, CDP2016/36
Debate packs are intended to provide a summary or overview of the issues being debated and identify any relevant briefings including press and parliamentary material. A more detailed briefing may be prepared for a Member on request to the Library.