Minister Reports 90 Missing Asylum Seeker Children

November 1, 2024 TruthUSA

All seven Home Office-run hotels for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are currently closed, following a legal challenge against the previous government.

The government is prioritizing the search for 90 asylum-seeking children who went missing from these hotels, according to a statement by Home Office minister Lord Hanson of Flint. As of Sept. 26, out of the 472 missing children, 382 have been located, leaving 90 still unaccounted for.

Lord Hanson expressed his strong desire to find the missing children, emphasizing that this must be the primary focus of the Home Office, while also extending support to local authorities and the police in these efforts.

The minister also confirmed the closure of all seven Home Office-operated hotels for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. Six of these hotels closed in November 2023, with the final one shutting down in January 2024.

These closures stemmed from a legal challenge by Every Child Protected Against Trafficking (ECPAT) UK, with the High Court deeming the accommodations unlawful.

Calls for an Inquiry

In light of the situation, Labour peer Lord Touhig criticized the placement of children as young as 12 in hotels without adequate care and supervision, labeling it a violation of their human rights. He called for an inquiry into this matter.

Fellow Labour member Baroness Chakrabarti echoed the sentiment, highlighting the need for a focused statutory inquiry to hold accountable those responsible for the mishandling of the missing children situation.

Lord Flint acknowledged the calls for an inquiry and pledged to consider them in due course. He emphasized the urgency of locating the missing children due to the failures of the previous government in managing this issue effectively.

Risk of Trafficking

During discussions, Lord Touhig referenced a report from University College London (UCL) and ECPAT UK, which highlighted the increased risk of trafficking faced by children who had disappeared from these hotels.

The report revealed that Albanian boys were particularly vulnerable and constituted a significant portion of the missing children, often fearing deportation. Some children had remained in these hotels for extended periods, contrary to the Home Office’s emergency-use policy of a maximum two-week stay.

Additionally, the report disclosed instances of child trafficking incidents witnessed by former Home Office hotel staff.

Researchers concluded that the easily identifiable nature of these hotels made them prime targets for traffickers seeking to exploit vulnerable children with potential trafficking ties.

New Border Policies

Lord Flint outlined the government’s approach towards unaccompanied minors entering the UK, stressing the importance of local authorities in providing safeguarding measures and support for these individuals under the age of 18.

He emphasized the government’s overarching goal of reducing the exploitation of children by criminal gangs and ensuring a humane and effective response to those arriving in the UK.

Since assuming power, the new Labour administration has focused on combatting criminal smuggling networks facilitating illegal immigration, particularly along the English Channel route, and enhancing deportations for individuals without legal status in the country.

By Oct. 31, the number of people illegally entering the UK by boat had risen by 15 percent compared to the previous year, reaching 30,661. Tragically, there were 10 fatalities in October alone, with a total of 50 deaths in the Channel since the beginning of the year.

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