North Ayrshire is poised to open its arms to child asylum seekers who arrive in the UK on their own.
Councillors are expected to approve proposals that would provide homes for up to six asylum-seeing children this year.
The move comes amid the escalating humanitarian crisis emerging in Kent where migrants arrive on small boats having risked their lives crossing the Channel.
Some will be unaccompanied children who have been separated from their parents or carers and North Ayrshire Council are set to extend an existing commitment to help to those caught up in humanitarian issues.
Since 2015, North Ayrshire has welcomed 238 individuals – made up of 42 Syrian families and eight Afghan families – and on Tuesday will pledge to provide homes for those unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) crossing the Channel seeking asylum in the UK.
The first child is due to arrive this month and the local authority say more young people will be supported through a 'number of different models of care to provide the right support for the individual'.
Councillor Joe Cullinane, leader of North Ayrshire Council, said: “These children have been through things we can’t imagine. They are then arriving here alone and terrified in a completely alien country.
“We are committed to welcoming these vulnerable young people and giving them the support, care and help that they deserve.
"We have supported many families from Syria and Afghanistan over a number of years and it’s great to see how well they are doing and how settled they’ve become.
“The young people are flourishing in our schools and starting to think about future career choices and the adults are so keen to contribute to their community through volunteering and securing employment.
“The council teams who support these families deserve huge credit for the work they have done and continue to do and I want to thank them for that.”
In Scotland, a successful local authority voluntary assistance scheme agreed with COSLA has been operating for a number of months.
This has enabled UASC to be placed across various local authorities that were able to assist. As part of the voluntary rota, North Ayrshire was allocated two UASC to be accommodated.
During December 2021, and as a result of the continuing escalation of the emerging humanitarian crisis, an appropriate supported carer became available within North Ayrshire, who was able to assist.
Due to the escalating crisis, the UK Government has introduced a mandated rota for all UK local authorities. North Ayrshire Council will continue to work closely with COSLA and the Home Office to support the ongoing crisis.
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