Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children
An unaccompanied asylum seeking child is defined by the Home Office as a young person under the age of 18 making an application for asylum in his or her own right and who "has no adult relative or guardian to turn to in this country".
These young people may have arrived in the UK by themselves or with an adult who later abandoned them or who does not present as a suitable carer or guardian.
The Children Act 1989 identifies unaccompanied asylum seeking children as 'Children in Need' and we support them accordingly, guided by the principle that they are children first and foremost.