Kent County Council’s asylum seeker costs have tripled in just five years, hitting a staggering £41.6 million – the highest bill of any region in the country. New research from the TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) reveals a jaw-dropping 319% rise since 2019-20.
Kent’s Soaring Asylum Costs
Kent’s £41.6m social care bill dwarfs every other local authority. The £31.7m increase in five years is driven by rising support needs for both adults and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC).
Council leader Linden Kemkaran has blasted the government’s “abysmal” border control, blaming successive administrations for the rising financial burden. She’s called on Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood for extra funding to cope, especially for young adults aged 21-25 who get zero government support despite Kent’s legal duty to care for them.
Unaccompanied Children Piling Up
Kent is legally bound to take in all unaccompanied asylum-seeking children arriving on its shores. These kids are either housed locally or moved to other councils under the national transfer scheme. The number of such children has quadrupled to 16,000 over the past decade.
Cllr Kemkaran said: “When unaccompanied children rock up on our shores, we are legally obliged to put them in our children’s care services and look after them…up to the age of 25. Our staff cope brilliantly…but successive governments have failed abysmally to secure our borders.”
With small boats crossing the Channel expected to increase as the weather warms, the council braces for even more strain, mostly men, but with some children who become Kent’s responsibility immediately.
Taxpayers Pick Up the Tab
The TPA report highlights that national local authority social care spending on asylum seekers has doubled since 2019-20, reaching £744 million in 2024-25. Rising adult care demands and the growing number of unaccompanied children are the main drivers.
Social care covers services like interpretation, healthcare, housing, education, and legal aid. For children in care, costs include accommodation and placements. Kent receives around £1,000 per week for under-18s and £270 weekly for 18-21-year-olds—but nothing beyond age 21, leaving a funding gap.
Kent Tops the Bill List, Others Follow
- Kent: £41.6 million
- Hampshire: £23.9 million
- Manchester: £23.2 million
- Surrey: £22.6 million
- Bristol: £19.2 million
- Essex: £15.2 million
TPA researcher Anne Strickland warned: “The escalating costs…are a ticking time bomb in town hall budgets, with residents suffering. Taxpayers have watched governments fail to get a grip, knowing they will ultimately foot the bill.”
She added: “With councils helpless, urgent Whitehall action is essential to stop this migration crisis.”
Government Response
The Home Office said: “Local authorities have a statutory duty to support unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and care leavers, and we are committed to working closely with them. The Home Office already provides additional funding contributions to help local authorities meet support costs.”
