The latest statistics released by the Home Office reveal a sharp annual rise in the number of asylum applications lodged in the UK by unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) aged 14-17.
New figures show the number of asylum applications lodged by UASC aged 16-17 in the year to the end of September 2019 was 2690 – up from 2031 the previous year, and a rise of 32%.