Unaccompanied Asylum-seeking Children (UASC)
The Home Office defines Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) as children under 18 who apply for asylum in the UK on their own, without a parent or legal guardian responsible for their care.
These children are entitled to support and protection under the Children Act 1989, as updated by the Children and Young Persons Act 2008.
The National Transfer Scheme (NTS) helps move unaccompanied children safely from one local authority (where they first arrive) to another (which takes over their care). Only children who meet the official definition of a UASC, as set out in the Immigration Rules (paragraph 352ZD), can be referred to the scheme.
As a receiving authority, the council is responsible for caring for these children until they turn 18. After that, support continues under the Care Planning and Care Leavers Regulations 2010 (updated in 2014).