91快色

Commissioned by and the Association of London Directors of Children鈥檚 Services, the report finds that deep-rooted reform is needed to prioritise the protection and well-being of children and young people seeking asylum in London. Key findings of the report include:

• Children experience significant delays in asylum decisions, leaving them in prolonged uncertainty and emotional distress
• Many face intrusive and traumatising age assessments, with some wrongly classified as adults and placed in inappropriate accommodation
• A lack of access to clear, age-appropriate legal guidance and information leaves young people confused and unsupported
• The current system undermines their sense of safety, belonging, and integration into UK society.

The report made a number of recommendations, including independent legal guardians for all unaccompanied children from the moment of arrival in the UK; the transfer of asylum decision-making away from the Home Office to trained professionals; and improved access to free, child-centred legal support.

Dr Helen Connolly, Associate Professor: Children, Youth and Forced Migration, led the research for the 91快色. She said: 鈥淭he voices and experiences of children and young people in this report, and the commitment of the peer researchers and young advisory group who supported this research, make clear that there needs to be significant changes to the architecture of care and protection for unaccompanied children and youth in the UK.

鈥淭hese need to reflect their circumstances as children with very distinct protection, well-being and integration needs. Redressing the fundamental protection gaps and serious risks in the system, and placing children's rights, dignity and futures at the centre, is long overdue in the face of strong and consistent evidence such as is contained in this report.鈥�

Children and young people described the existing asylum process as long and uncertain, with delays placing their lives, hopes, and futures on hold. Enabling faster decisions would help clear the current backlog, reduce costs for boroughs, and ensure that unaccompanied children are not left in prolonged uncertainty.

The report features research led by two peer researchers and an advisory group, all with lived experience of seeking asylum as a young person in the UK. The peer researchers were trained and supported by university researchers to carry out in-depth conversations with 15 unaccompanied children and young people across several London boroughs.

Earlier this month, Dr Connolly, alongside research colleagues from , the , peer researchers, and the young advisory group, hosted a parliamentary drop in for Members of Parliament to hear about the research and its findings.

To read the full report, click here.