Charity calls for more host families for lone asylum-seeking children in West Berkshire

A charity is calling for more host families to support the growing number of lone children seeking asylum in West Berkshire.

Up to 7,380 children claimed asylum in the UK after fleeing danger abroad last year – up from 5,080 in 2020.

The Home Office has said it is working with local authorities to support them, but overwhelming costs for councils has meant charities have stepped in.

West Berkshire Council has confirmed it currently supports 22 ‘separated’ children aged between 15 and 17, and added that government grant money is adequate to cover the costs for these children.

Approximately 85 per cent of young people cared for in West Berkshire by youth homelessness charity Step by Step are lone asylum-seeking children, primarily from Vietnam, Sudan, Iraq, Iran and Ethiopia.

Among them is Shula – not her real name – who escaped on a plane with her sister to avoid being forced to marry by her strict Muslim family.

She stayed for a few months at the Regency Park Hotel in Thatcham before she was granted asylum with ‘leave to remain’ for five years.

She was 17 when she joined Mark and Beverley Landreth-Smith near Newbury two years ago through Step by Step’s support lodgings service.

“She was scared to leave her room [at the hotel] and that was part of the reason for her coming here,” said Mr Landreth-Smith.

“We’re embarrassed to say people in West Berkshire have told her to go back to where she came from. And that’s been really hard for her.

“She wouldn’t go out after the riots last summer.”

Shula, who has since renounced her faith, added: “At the start, there were a lot of people [in the hotel] who we thought were nice but then they were actually just using us. It was a bit scary being on our own.”

But she said her overall experience living in the area since has been positive.

She is currently studying health and childcare at college and works in a café.

She wants to return to the Middle East to see her cousin but knows this may not be possible due to concerns for her safety.

But Step by Step, backed by the EveryYouth network of youth homelessness charities, fears many young asylum-seekers like Shula could now be denied the right to stay in the UK permanently.

The Government’s new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill will prevent refugees who enter the UK illegally from becoming British citizens – something EveryYouth wants separated children to be exempt from.

“We understand the Government want to bring down the numbers, but part of our concern is that there isn’t provision in the proposed new bill for children like Shula,” added Mr Landreth-Smith.

The Home Office has said the safety and welfare of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children is its “utmost priority”.

A Step by Step spokesperson told newburytoday: “These young people often arrive in the UK having faced extremely difficult journeys and a stable, supportive placement can make an enormous difference in helping them rebuild their lives.”

Its support lodgings service has been running in West Berkshire since 2008.

It currently has 20 placements supported by around 15 hosts and is looking to expand its capacity to 30 placements, including three emergency beds.

It continued: “As demand continues to grow in the area, we’re especially keen to hear from people in Newbury and the surrounding area who might be interested in becoming a host.

“Our hosts are extraordinary individuals who open their homes to young people in need of stability and care.”

Hosts are provided with payment for room rental, along with a small bursary or allowance for the support they offer. In return, they receive comprehensive training and regular support from the charity’s support workers.

Please call 01252 346100 or email supportedlodgings@stepbystep.org.uk to find out about becoming a host carer.

Alternatively, please call West Berkshire Council on 01635 503155 or email fostering@westberks.gov.uk to find out more about becoming an approved foster carer.

*A refugee is someone who has proven they would be at risk if returned to their home country, according to the British Red Cross. Their asylum claim has been accepted by their receiving country's government, where they have either long-term or indefinite permission to stay.

Whereas an asylum seeker is someone who flees their home and arrives in another country by any means necessary. They have a legal right to stay in their receiving country until their application has been decided.