Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how much notice unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are given before (1) detention, and (2) deportation.

Unaccompanied children may only be detained in a very limited number of exceptional circumstances. Such detention is usually pending alternative care arrangements being made (with relatives or local authority children’s services), would be for the shortest possible time, and would not take place in an immigration removal centre.

We do not return unaccompanied children with no lawful basis to remain in the UK, unless we can confirm there are safe and adequate reception arrangements in the country to which they will be returned.