Briefings and responses

Councils have an excellent track record in welcoming unaccompanied children for many years and continue to work hard to support the many programmes for refugees and asylum seekers in current operation.

Councils continue to work hard to support and deliver the many programmes for refugees and asylum seekers currently in operation. Councils want to work with central government to find sustainable solutions that minimise the pressures on local authorities, their communities and vulnerable individuals.

Councils, working with central government, national partners and regional bodies, have shown great leadership in building additional capacity for children from the Calais camp at fast pace

There is consensus that a hotel is not the right place for children to be living. The LGA agrees with the Government in wanting the National Transfer Scheme (NTS) to work well in ensuring unaccompanied children.

Local authorities are the primary point of engagement for identifying where refugees are to be resettled, and lead on work with local partners and communities to help families settle into their new homes.

Local authorities have been at the forefront of the Ukraine response and have stepped up fast-paced support. The LGA would like to work with the Government to review and confirm the funding needed to meet the short- and long-term needs of all Ukrainian arrivals and those opening their homes to them, regardless of their route to the UK.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, councils have been working closely with the Government to ensure support for new arrivals from Ukraine is put in place quickly and at scale, and families are kept safe.

Councils have a proud history of welcoming new arrivals so that they can build new lives in the UK and they are already helping to support new arrivals from Ukraine and their sponsors.

The latest key messages from a general debate on Ukraine in the House of Commons, 25 May 2022.

Councils have a proud history of welcoming new arrivals so that they can build new lives in the UK and have huge range of expertise that has informed the development and delivery of that support.