Where do lone asylum seeking children end up?

The number of children travelling to the UK alone to seek asylum has risen to over 7,000 according to the latest figures, with some local authorities saying they are facing challenges accommodating them.

Department of Education figures show 7,380 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) aged under 18 were in council care across England in March 2024, up from 5,080 in 2020.

The main entry point for migrants arriving on small boats is Dover, and Kent County Council said it recently "almost reached capacity" after a surge of arrivals in December.

The Home Office says it is working with local authorities to them, but the Local Government Association says more funding is needed.

Kent County Council (KCC) has an obligation to look after lone children when they arrive on small boats in Dover, and a National Transfer Scheme (NTS) was set up to ensure a "fairer, more equitable distribution" of children across all local councils in England.

However, Kent is still caring for the highest number at 498, and council leader Roger Gough says at times it has become "extremely difficult" to transfer unaccompanied minors to other authorities.

"We have seen a big increase in of young people transferred through the [NTS] but that's also in the context of seeing an even larger number of young people coming in," the KCC leader said.

"In 2024, some 2,837 young people were referred to our services, 2,366 were transferred under the NTS, so that was an unprecedented number, and we are still looking after a bigger proportion of young people than other councils."

He said there had been a "very large numbers" of arrivals in December.

Gough said transfers were not at the level to guarantee the council's children's service "won't become overwhelmed again".

The government has provided KCC with funding to establish five new reception centres, but the council says it is still concerned that its services will come under pressure if there is a rise in arrivals in the spring and summer.

KCC is calling for government to make further commitments to working with councils to build capacity across the county.

Gough added: "We need a national system that can respond fully and in a timely fashion, even when the demands and needs are very high."

Meanwhile Hampshire County Council said government grants did not cover the significantly higher cost of looking after separated children once they turned 18, despite their "greater needs".

Muddaser, who is now 25 and lives in Canterbury, fled from Sudan at the age of 16 and arrived in Dover in a lorry from .

He told BBC South East that he reached the UK at the third attempt and now has indefinite leave to remain.

"Sudan isn't safe. I feel safer here. I'm not sure I'd be alive if I was in Sudan at this moment, but I am lucky to be here (UK) and to feel safer."

Muddaser is studying for a master's degree in politics and law and says he wants to work for the government who ed him.

Ibrahim was 15 years old when he crossed the Channel in a lorry five years ago.

He left Afghanistan before the return of Taliban rule, and said his father wanted a better life for him.

"People got killed on the way, people got shot in front of me. Why would he put me into this risk if Kabul was safe for me"Reform's Doge team during a visit to Kent on Monday, left to right advisor Arron Banks, Kent County Council (KCC) leader Linden Kemkaran, Reform UK chairman Zia Yusuf, head of Reform Doge Nathaniel Fried, Brian Collins, deputy leader of KCC " class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/>