THE CHILDREN’S Commissioner has said child asylum seekers are being held in poor conditions.

Children can end up waiting almost 72 hours in a holding unit. In this unit, they cannot access showers or beds.

Anne Longfield pointed out that unaccompanied child asylum seekers may have already faced any number of traumatic events. These might include a dangerous boat crossing, rough sleeping or trafficking.

Previously, unaccompanied children went directly to local authority care in Kent. However, the council reached full capacity in August.

Now, children stay at the Kent Intake Unit, while they wait for social workers from other counties to collect them.

But this happens on a voluntary basis.

Longfield said: “It is crucial that the scheme is reformed and properly funded.”

She believes this would mean more councils took responsibility for vulnerable children.

In response to the Independent, The Home Office said: “[Our] efforts remain focused on ensuring every single unaccompanied child receives appropriate support whilst we seek a permanent place for them with a local authority. They are always prioritised and held at the Kent Intake Unit for as short a period as possible.

“We recently consulted on plans to improve the National Transfer Scheme, which transfers unaccompanied asylum seeking children to different local authorities, to make sure the responsibility for these children is spread evenly and fairly.”

According to the charity Every Child Protected Against Trafficking (ECPAT), 15% of all unaccompanied children went missing from care in 2017.