Typical asylum-seeking children are seen as those with their parents. But thousands of children - people under 18 - arrive in Britain and present themselves to the authorities unaccompanied by an adult.
Some have fled their homes after their parents have been killed; some from forced recruitment into the army. Others have been trafficked to Britain for prostitution. Eva, aged 15, suffered the murder of her parents in an African state. A “friend” raped her and took her to London for sexual exploitation. She escaped and applied for asylum.
Having applied, the majority are granted discretionary leave until the age of 17 and a half, but with their claim rejected. About 17% are refused outright. Only a small number are given asylum.
In all, more than 90% are not offered asylum. Why? A common criticism is that a culture of disbelief persist among decision-makers. I have heard so many asylum seekers say of immigration officials: “They just do not want to believe us.”
Although rejected, few children are sent back immediately, though it does happen. Sadly, in January, it was announced that more under-18s would be returned to their place of origin.
Unlike most asylum seekers, who come under the supervision of the Home Office, unaccompanied children are the responsibility of local authorities. In Glasgow, the asylum support team has a good reputation and schools have been praised for their efforts to integrate the children. But standards vary among the small number of local authorities with unaccompanied children.
Efforts are made to place young children with foster carers, ideally from a similar cultural background. But government funding drops by half once they reach 16, and some local authorities move the children into less personal accommodation where they feel isolated and may have less contact with social workers.
In cheap bed and breakfast provision, they may feel threatened by homeless adults including drug users and alcoholics. In the Midlands, Sandwell local authority was so unhappy with the conditions provided by one private housing company that it removed all children and warned other local authorities of its concerns.
What happens when these children reach 18? Few are given the right to stay. Some who are refused asylum cannot be returned as their home countries decline to accept them. They are left in limbo. Many choose to disappear and live in destitution, sometimes with handouts from faith groups and other projects.
I met two young African men sleeping on a bench in George Square in Glasgow. They had no food, no money, no shelter. They said it was better than torture and death.
Without parents, often in ill health (with up to 50% showing psychological problems), often living in appalling conditions and frequently facing a future of destitution, they are the most vulnerable young people in Britain.
The recent report by the Independent Asylum Commission was no leftie outburst. Chaired by a judge, the commission was replete with lords, bishops and knights. It concluded that “the treatment of asylum seekers falls seriously below the standards to be expected of a humane and civilised society”. Despite the efforts of a few local authorities, this judgment applies not just to adults but to children and young people.
Bob Holman is a retired professor of social policy and community worker in Easterhouse, Glasgow.
