Forty Missing Children from UK Asylum Hotels Still Unaccounted For
A parliamentary committee expresses deep concern over the fate of 40 children who remain missing from hotels housing asylum seekers in the UK, despite the majority of cases being r
By The Guardian
A report from the Joint Committee on Human Rights has revealed that 40 children who went missing from Home Office hotels in the UK have yet to be found. The report, released on Thursday, highlighted the committee's serious concerns regarding the welfare of these missing children.
In total, 472 children were reported missing, with 432 having been located. Among those still unaccounted for, two are believed to be under the age of 18. The committee is urging ministers to clarify the actions being taken to locate these children.
The report noted that in 2023 alone, over 440 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children were reported missing from Home Office hotels, with some as young as 12 years old. Helen Waite, a director of children’s social care at the Department for Education, informed the committee that guidance had been issued to police by the Home Office to enhance efforts in locating these children.
The report also referenced a ruling from the High Court in 2023, which deemed the Home Office's practice of using hotels to accommodate lone child asylum seekers as unlawful. At that time, the government stated that the increase in illegal Channel crossings left them with no choice but to temporarily house young people in hotels while seeking local authority placements.
Angela Eagle, the former border security and asylum minister, acknowledged in a letter to the committee that some of the children who had been found were in exploitative situations, potentially having been trafficked.
The committee welcomed the recovery of the majority of missing children but reiterated its alarm over the ongoing cases. They have called on the Home Office to specify the measures being taken to locate the remaining children and to investigate the reasons behind their disappearances. Furthermore, they requested quarterly updates on the efforts to find these children.
Patricia Durr, chief executive of Every Child Protected Against Trafficking UK, emphasized the need for public awareness regarding the disappearance of these children, describing it as a significant failure in child protection.
In a related development, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has issued a report ranking the UK government poorly for its treatment of asylum seekers, citing gaps in social security provisions and failures to protect individuals from poverty.
Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, chair of the EHRC, stressed that human rights protections must extend to all individuals in the UK, including migrants and asylum seekers.
This month, it was reported that 13 additional hotels housing asylum seekers have closed, following Labour's commitment to eliminate the use of such accommodations by the next election. The government is now increasing reliance on more basic facilities, including former military barracks, which is expected to save taxpayers £51 million.
A government spokesperson stated that police forces are responsible for investigating cases of missing children and that they are actively reviewing records and collaborating with local authorities to support these investigations.