Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied asylum-seeking children were resettled in (a) Coventry City Council area and (b) the West Midlands under the Dubs amendment provisions since May 2016.

In accordance with the Immigration Act 2016 the Government conducted a comprehensive consultation with local authorities across the UK in order to assess capacity for the care of unaccompanied children. On 13 May 2016, the then Immigration Minister wrote to all local authorities to provide an update on the launch of the National Transfer Scheme (NTS) and to encourage local authorities to participate in all schemes designed for children. On 7 June 2016, the then Immigration Minister, the Minister for Vulnerable Children and Families and the then Minister with responsibility for Syrian Refugees attended a national launch event in London which was attended by local authorities from across the UK. This was followed by regional events in England, including an event in the West Midlands, and in Scotland and Wales.

On 8 September last year, I wrote to all local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland asking them to confirm how many places they could offer to accommodate unaccompanied asylum seeking children. Home Office officials also maintained an ongoing dialogue with individual local authorities and regional Strategic Migration Partnerships throughout. In 2016 over 900 unaccompanied asylums seeking children were transferred to the UK, of which over 750 have been transferred from France, of which over 200 came under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016.

The NTS is a voluntary scheme whereby local authorities sign up to accept unaccompanied asylum seeking children on a voluntary basis. We asked local authorities to consider carefully whether they have the infrastructure and support networks needed to ensure the appropriate care of these unaccompanied children before participating in the NTS. Every region in England is participating in the NTS and we are working closely with local authorities in Scotland and Wales who have also responded positively. We are grateful to all local authorities who continue to support unaccompanied asylum seeking children, including Coventry City Council. It is for individual local authorities to decide the number of children they are able to accommodate but we continue to work with those not currently participating in the NTS to support them to do so at the earliest opportunity.