CHARITIES have called on the next Scottish Parliament to treat young unaccompanied refugees with “exactly the same support as any other child in need of care.”

More than 1,000 children seeking asylum are currently being cared for in Scotland after arriving unaccompanied, with up to 400 new referrals every year.

But the Scottish Refugee Council (SRC) and Aberlour children’s charity have warned that levels of support can vary widely, with young people caught between immigration authorities and social work.

Aberlour chief executive Justina Murray said: “Young people arriving alone to seek safe shelter in Scotland deserve the same chance of a stable home and secure future as any other child.

“Many are given the care and support they need, and go to school, make friends, build happy, successful lives and contribute to their new communities. Some, sadly, are not.”

With little more than six weeks until the Holyrood elections, she said: “Our new MSPs should help ensure every young unaccompanied person seeking asylum in Scotland is seen first through the lens of child protection, not immigration control.

“They deserve certainty and stability as quickly as possible so they do not remain in limbo as they approach adulthood.”

Calling for “the Promise” — a Scottish government commitment to improving support for looked-after children and young people — to be extended to those seeking asylum, SRC chief executive Sabir Zazi said: “Children and young people coming to Scotland in search of safety deserve exactly the same support as any other child in need of care who lives here.

“The Promise is to all children in need of care, including those arriving from overseas without their family.

“If we believe in children’s rights, those rights must apply regardless of immigration status.”