Wokingham Borough Council is considering whether it can care for more unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

It comes after the Home Office stated that more councils need to “come forward and do their bit” because the burden being placed on Kent County Council to care for these young refugees is “unacceptable”.

The Conservative-run council in Kent, which is currently caring for 589 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, insists it does not have the capacity to safely care for anymore, following a recent influx.

Wokingham Borough Council has signed up to the government’s National Transfer Scheme, which allows an unaccompanied child refugee to be transferred from one local authority to another.

However, the scheme is voluntary and Wokingham Borough Council has not pledged to take on any young refugees from Kent yet.

Councillor UllaKarin Clark, executive member for Children’s Services, said: “We always try to do our best for the children, wherever they come from.

“But we will need to look at our resources. Due to Covid, things have changed.”

READ MORE: Plans for 249 new homes on Wokingham estate unveiled

A council spokeswoman said: “Wokingham Children Services is currently considering whether and how it could support Kent County Council with the care of the unaccompanied asylum-seeking children that it has in its care.

“Wokingham Borough Council does provide care to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

“The unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in the care of the council have become looked after either via the transfer scheme or because they were found in our area.”

Councillor Lindsay Ferris, leader of the Liberal Democrats, is now calling on the council to provide care for some of the young refugees who have recently arrived in the UK.

“I think we should help Kent out and take on a small quota,” he said.

In the year ending in March 2020, the UK received 35,099 applications for asylum, 11 per cent more than the previous year, and it granted asylum for 12,863 people, including 3,761 children.

In that year, the UK also provided humanitarian protection to 1,482 people and issued 7,482 family reunion visas to partners and children of people who had previously been granted asylum.

READ MORE: West Berkshire Council says ‘we will do our bit’ to help child refugees

And by the end of March 2020, the government was providing 41,388 asylum seekers with accommodation and financial support. The majority (83 per cent) were located in England.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: “This is an unprecedented situation.

“We continue to provide Kent County Council with support, including significant increases in funding, but the burden being placed on them is unacceptable and cannot continue.

“We are grateful to the 53 local authorities who have pledged more than 210 places to support our National Transfer Scheme, but we need more to come forward and do their bit for vulnerable children.

“The Home Office, Department for Education and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government are writing to all local authorities, urging them to come forward, play their part and take responsibility.”