Missing UK Asylum Children Found in 'Exploitative Situations' Amid Trafficking Fears

Forty people who went missing as unaccompanied asylum-seeking children from Home Office accommodation remain unaccounted for, according to a parliamentary report. Of 472 children reported missing from asylum hotels, 432 have since been found, with some reportedly discovered in 'exploitative situations'.

Dame Angela Eagle, who was border security and asylum minister when she wrote to Parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR), said some of those found may have been victims of human trafficking or other exploitation.

Two of the 40 still missing are believed to be under 18. The JCHR said it was 'extremely concerned' that people who disappeared several years ago had not been found, while England's Children's Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza called the situation an 'unacceptable failure'.

40 People Remain Missing

The figures were provided to the committee in June by Helen Waite, a Department for Education director of children's social care. She said Home Office guidance had been shared with police and local networks to help establish whether missing children had since been located.

The issue emerged in 2023, when hundreds of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children were reported missing from Home Office hotels. Some were as young as 12.

In a letter to the JCHR last year, Eagle said some children who were eventually found were in 'exploitative situations' and may have been trafficked or otherwise exploited. Her comments refer to those who were located and do not establish that the 40 still missing have been trafficked.

The High Court ruled in 2023 that routinely housing unaccompanied children in hotels was unlawful. Home Office accommodation specifically used for unaccompanied children was closed in January 2024.

Calls For Greater Safeguarding

Patricia Durr, chief executive of Every Child Protected Against Trafficking UK, said the cases should not be allowed to 'fade from public scrutiny'. She described the disappearances as a significant child protection failure and called for greater transparency.

The JCHR has asked the Home Office to explain what action is being taken to locate the missing people, establish why the children disappeared and prevent similar cases. It also requested updates every three months on efforts to find them.

Dame Rachel said every child arriving in the UK should be able to apply for asylum safely and receive shelter and support. She called on the Government to explain how it would locate those still missing and prevent further cases.

Government Response

The Government said the safety and wellbeing of children was a priority and that missing-child cases were taken seriously.

A Home Office spokesperson said police forces were responsible for investigating missing-child cases, while the department continued to review its records, share information with police and work with local authorities and safeguarding partners.

The accommodation used specifically for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children closed in January 2024. The Government has also continued reducing its wider use of asylum hotels, with 13 more sites recently closed as ministers increase the use of alternatives including former military facilities.

The latest closures were expected to save taxpayers £51 million ($69.29 million) and reduce the number of asylum hotels to below 160, from a peak of about 400.

However, 40 people who disappeared from Home Office accommodation remain unaccounted for, with the JCHR seeking regular updates on efforts to locate them and strengthen safeguards for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.