Almost £30,000 has been spent on providing driving lessons for children granted asylum to live in Kent during the past three years.

Figures reveal the support provided by Kent County Council to youngsters after arriving in the county seeking asylum has increased almost six-fold.

In the 2024/25 financial year, some £20,143.86 has been spent to help unaccompanied asylum seeking (UAS) children gain their driving licence - either through paying for lessons or tests.

This amount has gone up from £3,567.74 in 2022/23 and then £5,028.50 in the following financial year.

The move has been slammed by critics who describe the spending as “an outrage”.

But the county council says the funding is provided by central government and only once a person’s refugee status and asylum cases are confirmed.

The authority is responsible only for looking after UAS children and funding for driving lessons is provided by the government and not directly from Kent taxpayers.

The Home Office is responsible for the care of all adults seeking asylum.

Every child in the care system is cared for under the same legislation - whether they were born in Britain, have been taken into the care system having been born overseas or are seeking asylum in the UK.

A KCC spokesperson said: “Under immigration law, KCC is responsible for the care of Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UAS Children) arriving in Kent, in line with the Children’s Act 1989. UAS Children make up a small proportion of all asylum seekers.

“The courts have been very clear that we cannot treat UAS Children differently from other looked after children, and that they are entitled to the same support as every other child in care nationally.

“In Kent, the offer for our care leavers, which this council is very proud of, is outlined on our website.

“Driving lessons are part of our offer of support for all Care Leavers and all support for UAS Children is fully funded by the Government and not KCC.”

But the figures have sparked anger among right-wing media in a report on TalkTV today.

Host Kevin O'Sullivan said on the channel today: "We have to pay for our own driving lessons, why don't they? Why are we paying for them?

"Why, when these people break into our country illegally, do we then shower them with gifts?

"It's crazy - and who is paying for it? Us, you, the British taxpayer. It's an outrage."

He was later joined by the network’s international editor Isabel Oakeshott who also said the Department of Work and Pensions had confirmed only those with confirmed refugee status “may be eligible” for support.

She added: “If we were to put a bunch of these requests in to councils, we would find there would be an absolute scandal going on.”