In the past decade, over 50 young asylum seekers in the UK have tragically lost their lives, predominantly due to suicide, as revealed by newly compiled data.
Between 2015 and 2024, a total of 54 fatalities among children and young individuals seeking asylum within the care system were recorded. Of these, 31 were attributed to suicide, seven resulted from homicide, and eight were classified as accidental deaths. Additionally, six young people died from health-related issues, while the causes of two deaths remain unidentified.
Notably, 44 of these deaths occurred since 2020, with 2024 marking the peak year, which included seven suicides alongside seven other fatalities.
The information was gathered by the Da’aro Youth Project, an organization dedicated to aiding young asylum seekers. They sought data from all local authority children’s services in England, Scotland, and Wales, as well as health and social care trusts in Northern Ireland, employing freedom of information requests. However, both the Home Office and the Department for Education declined to provide the requested information.
Since the beginning of 2024, the Office of the Information Commissioner has issued five decision notices stating that the Home Office improperly withheld details concerning the deaths of asylum seekers. The Home Office is currently appealing against four of these rulings.
It is important to note that the data collected from local authorities may not be comprehensive, as the Home Office frequently contests the ages reported by young asylum seekers, leading to some not being placed in the care system.
Among the suicides, six involved children aged 17 or younger, while 16 were young people between 18 and 20 years old, and nine were aged 20 to 24.
An inquest revealed that Amir Safi, a 16-year-old from Afghanistan, passed away in 2024 after becoming increasingly withdrawn following a decision that declared him an adult.
Between November 2017 and February 2019, four Eritrean teenagers who were acquainted with each other—Alexander Tekle, Osman Ahmed Nur, Mulubrhane Medhane Kfleyosus, and Filmon Yemane—also took their own lives.
The report has been forwarded to key ministers, including the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and Immigration Minister Alex Norris. It expresses profound concern regarding the government’s lack of transparency in these matters, noting that both the Department for Education and the Home Office have withheld vital information.
The report emphasizes that “we believe all children and young people matter, regardless of their immigration status, national origin, or ethnicity.” It advocates for the publication of death statistics for this demographic, the initiation of a national review concerning these fatalities, and the development of a new safeguarding strategy to protect these vulnerable individuals.
Sarah Robson, director of the Da’aro Youth Project, remarked that this is the first instance of such data being compiled, describing the findings as deeply concerning. She highlighted the plight of unaccompanied minors who have fled their homes seeking safety in the UK, only to face high rates of suicide.
Robson criticized the treatment of these young individuals by government entities, stating that they are often regarded as adults by the Home Office within a system that prioritizes deterrence over providing refuge.
The Home Office and the Department for Education have been contacted for their responses regarding this issue.
