BBC South East Investigation Team
Gareth Fuller/PaA record number of loans on small boats has arrived and has gone to the care of Kent County Council (KCC) on the same day, the BBC has learned.
According to the council, KCC on Wednesday received 70 new unconnected shelters (UAS) children to KCC on Wednesday.
Another alone 48 children arrived at the small boats from France on Thursday, the council says.
However, it follows the total number of arrival arrival during the first six months of this year compared to the same period in 2024, which the council says that adverse weather conditions can be attributed to more accurate age assessment.
The figures viewed by the BBC South East show that 705 children arrived in the care of KCC between January and June.
It compares with 1,165 arrival during the same time period in 2024.
‘sudden increase’
A spokesperson of the council said: “It is not clear why the arrival number has upsurized in this way, but the boundary force teams at the border had a combination of weather and improvement in the accuracy of early age assessment, to refer to UAS children in KCC care, it had an impact.
“In the first two winter months of 2025, the weather was quite bad compared to the previous year and the KCC then saw a low new arrival.”
The council has warned that a sudden increase this week, if it continues, the new referral may increase overall by the end of the year.
“Given the current record rates of arrival, it is possible that the council can eventually get more UAS children this year than 2024,” said the KCC spokesman.
About 20,000 people In the first half of this year, Britain arrived at small boats – 48%in the first six months of 2024.
The latest figures suggest that the most smallest boat arrival in the first six months of the year in 2025 has been seen as the data was first collected in 2018.
The situation in the English Channel was “deteriorating” last month after Downing Street, when French President Emmanuel Macron would be an important point of dealing with small boat crossings to visit French President Emmanuel Macron in the coming days.
French officials are considering allowing police or coast guard officers to intervene in shallow water to try to stop the so -called taxi boats that raise migrants from the beaches.
‘Nationals have changed’
An organization that supports migrants in Northern France has told the BBC South East that it is more lonely looking at the children who are looking for children who reach Dunkark.
According to the Utopia 56 coordinator Celestin Picod, “We have seen a greater number of minors than this year.”
He said, “However, his profile has changed, nationalities have changed. Now we are looking at more young irritance, Somalis and Sudani and very few Afghans or Kurdish children.”
KCC is responsible for the responsibility of taking care of children when they reach small boats in the dover, and as a result of the National Transfer Scheme, many children are transferred to the care of other local councils across England.
Kent has been taking care of the highest number for many years.
In the last two years, the government has given funding to KCC to set up five new reception centers.
But in March, the former council conservative leader called ministers to make Further commitments Working with councils to build capacity in county.
Earlier this year, the Association of Directors of Children Services said the increasing number of gateway officers, such as Kent, had created unprecedented demand on their services and required more support to local authorities.
The home office has been contacted for a comment.
