It is refugee Week, the annual opportunity to encourage empathy and understanding for people who have fled war, violence, conflict or persecution and sought safety in the UK. For TACT the week particularly provides a platform on which to raise awareness of the need to provide unaccompanied asylum-seeking children with compassion and inspire people to open their homes and hearts to them through fostering.
TACT has long campaigned to improve the way unaccompanied asylum seeking children and young people are treated here in the UK. Here are some of our key campaigning messages:
- No unaccompanied child should be in a hotel or a home that does not offer Care.
- Age assessments are inaccurate, unreliable and should be discontinued. We should assess vulnerability and need.
- All unaccompanied children should be under care orders so that it is clear who holds parental responsibility in the UK.
- All unaccompanied children should be granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK if there is no clear prospect of them retuning to family members in their home country or a third country.
TACT particularly wants to acknowledge the role of foster carers who provide crucial support and care for vulnerable young refugees, who lack family support and have often experienced arduous journeys to get to the UK. Here are some of our wonderful carers’ stories:
