World · Europe · 2 hrs ago
Kent says 2,182 unaccompanied migrant children reached Dover by boat
Kent County Council says 2,182 children crossed to Dover alone by boat since January, an average of more than 200 a month.
The children travelled across the English Channel from France, with most making the crossing in small boats.
Some had been staying at a migrant camp near Dunkirk, where people prepare to travel to the coast.
The council figures cover children who arrived without an adult accompanying them, while the account also describes children travelling with families.
The Home Office says housing and supporting an unaccompanied child costs about £143 a night, or £52,000 a year.
That cost puts pressure on public funds, especially when children need support for years.
The figures give a recent count, but no changes to policy or further official action are described.
Kent County Council figures say 2,182 unaccompanied migrant children reached Dover by boat since January.
The figures were released to the Daily Mail this week.
The vast majority of the children crossed the Channel by boat, while a small number were smuggled in lorries on ferries.
The article says supporting an unaccompanied child costs £143 a night, based on the latest Home Office figures.
Children arriving in Dover are taken to the Kent Intake Unit and cared for by social workers.
- Who
- 2,182 unaccompanied migrant children, according to figures from Kent County Council.
- What
- They reached Dover, with the vast majority crossing the Channel by boat.
- When
- Since January. The figures were released this week.
- Where
- Dover, after crossing the Channel from France.
- Why
- The article says children at a camp near Dunkirk were preparing to cross to Britain, but does not state the reasons for each child's journey.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
2,182 unaccompanied migrant children reached Dover, according to Kent County Council figures.
The Daily Mail saw a three-year-old outside a migrant camp near Dunkirk.
About 400 migrants left the camp in three groups.
The Daily Mail photographed children who had arrived in Dover by boat from France overnight.
Kent County Council released the figures to the Daily Mail.
- Unaccompanied child arrivals
- 2,182 since January
- Reported arrival rate
- More than 200 a month
- Crossing distance
- 21 miles
- Nightly support cost
- £143 per child
- Annual support cost
- About £52,000 per child