Shropshire Star

Calais Jungle crisis: Telford & Wrekin Council 'more than happy' to take extra child refugees

Telford & Wrekin Council bosses said today they would be "more than happy" to accommodate more Syrian child refugees in the borough.

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A growing number of unaccompanied asylum seeking children, aged 17 and under, are making their way to England on the backs of lorries.

Pressure has also increased with the removal of the Jungle camp in Calais, with scores of children trying get into the UK.

Eight have been rehomed by Shropshire Council, while Telford & Wrekin has currently taken in just three.

Telford & Wrekin Council spokesman Chris Kowalik said the authority would be happy to accommodate more children in need. He said: "Telford & Wrekin Council has currently accommodated three unaccompanied asylum seeking children.

"We are keen to ensure we play our part and appropriately care for those brought to our borough needing our help in order for them to quickly integrate.

"We expect to be asked to further accommodate more asylum seeking children which we would be more than happy to support.

"We are working closely with the West Midlands Strategic Migration Partnership which is co-ordinating the placements of the children."

Last month, figures released by the Department of Education reported a total of 4,210 children claimed asylum in the UK from March 2015 to March 2016, up 54 per cent on the previous year and the highest total since current records began in 2004.

According to the Refugee Council, in the second quarter of this year, 93 per cent of unaccompanied children seeking asylum were male and there were 658 applications made by lone children wishing to stay in the country.

A refugee spokesman said: "Only 30 per cent of children who arrived in Britain alone have been granted asylum this year. Instead, many separated children are granted short term leave to remain, which expires after two and a half years. The top two countries of origin for applications from unaccompanied children were Iran and Afghanistan."

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