London Councils and the Association of London Directors of Children’s Services are calling for urgent, wide-ranging reforms to the asylum and care system for unaccompanied children,
following a new report detailing the harsh realities young asylum seekers face in the capital.
The report, developed with support from peer researchers who have personal experience of seeking asylum as young people, shares the voices of 15 unaccompanied minors from across several London boroughs. It reveals a system marked by confusion, delays, and distressing age assessments.
Key findings:
- Many children and young people face lengthy asylum processes, leaving their lives in limbo and damaging their mental health and sense of belonging.
- Age assessments are often traumatic and inaccurate, with some children wrongly treated as adults, placing them at risk in unsuitable accommodations and denying them access to appropriate care.
- A lack of clear information means most young people do not fully understand their rights or how to navigate the asylum process.
Recommended reforms include:
- Guaranteed, timely access to free, child-focused legal representation.
- Age assessments to be used only when absolutely necessary, with stronger safeguards at the border.
- Improved support for integration and belonging from the moment of arrival to combat isolation and loneliness.
- Government-funded independent legal guardians for all unaccompanied children, starting at their first contact with authorities.
Cllr Anthony Okereke, London Councils’ Executive Member for Communities, said:
“We know that under the current system, unaccompanied children and young people seeking asylum experience adversity daily in boroughs across London. We urgently need reforms that centre the rights, voices, and well-being of these children. From legal support to integration services, boroughs are calling for a compassionate, coordinated approach that helps young people build safe and hopeful futures."
Peer researchers, Gersi and Amina, said:
“As young people with lived experience of seeking asylum in the UK, the research we’ve carried out reflects the challenges and confusion that so many young asylum seekers face. We hope our ideas will be taken forward to make a real, lasting difference for both current and future generations of vulnerable young people seeking safety in the UK.”
London boroughs continue to support a significant share of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in England—around one-third nationwide. These children make up 16% of all looked-after children in London, more than double the national average. Photo by Ahill34, Wikimedia commons.