THE number of lone children seeking asylum in Scotland more than doubled last year, a charity has said.
Figures from the Scottish Guardianship Service show it helped 165 children and young people who arrived in Scotland in 2019, up from 81 the previous year.
The Scottish Guardianship Service, which is run by Aberlour Children’s Charity and the Scottish Refugee Council, supports children and young people aged 18 and under who arrive in Scotland alone and separated from their families.
Almost half of the young people (45%) have been trafficked and exploited in industries such as cannabis cultivation and nail bars or for sexual exploitation.
Over the last 10 years, the service has helped more than 700 young people from 38 countries and, to mark its 10th anniversary, it is launching a
new short film this week to explain some of the particular difficulties
facing unaccompanied young asylum seekers.
Sabir Zazai, chief executive of the Scottish Refugee Council, said:
“Children can become separated from their families as a result of war, terrorism and other conflicts.
READ MORE: 'Glasgow Girl' Roza Salih aims to be first refugee elected to Holyrood
“This shatters their lives and we see the impact of this every day.
“Many of the young people we support have been trafficked, others have lost everyone they had, and all have been through situations that no child should have to deal with. Now they are alone in a new country.
“This is too much for a child to cope with without the support of a dedicated guardian.
“Our guardians at the Scottish Guardianship Service recognise that these traumatised young people are more than statistics, they are kids with hopes and dreams.
“Alongside Aberlour, we have worked over the last 10 years to offer a helping hand to young people seeking protection in Scotland.”
The service provides each young person with a trusted professional who provides long-term support through the legal and immigration processes.
It also helps to provide a sense of community, introducing young people to others their age who have been through similar experiences.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here