Child asylum seekers disappear from UK hotels

Organizations have warned of the disappearance of child asylum seekers from hotels where they have been placed, fearing that they may be exposed to the risk of exploitation and human trafficking. 

In an open letter signed by 60 organizations and activists, it was mentioned that children under the age of 11 have been disappearing, according to the Local Report. 

A Freedom of Information request by the Every Child Protected Against Trafficking (EXPAT) charity revealed that 45 unaccounted child asylum seekers went missing from hotels from June to the end of March last year, while a separate request by the Independent reports that the number was 16 between July and November last year. 

The Home Office had significantly increased the occupancy of hotels as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers at the beginning of the corona pandemic, and again after the arrival of refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine. By the end of June, 355 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children aged between 11 and 18 were staying in hotels, the Local Report mentioned. 

A report by the United Nations Refugee Agency and the British Red Cross referred that delays in asylum decisions are leading people to “accept offers of work in unsafe and exploitative conditions,” and that human traffickers targeted hostels and hotels.

The Home Affairs Committee recently expressed its concern in a report, asserting that actions are required to prevent exploitation, especially since child asylum seekers have to wait for 550 days for governmental decisions, leading them to find their own way of living, according to the Independent.  

An independent report by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration found that children and victims of trafficking were not properly detected because migrants arrive on small boats, according to the Local Report.  

A 2021 report by the HM Inspectorate of Prisons concluded that some child asylum seekers were mistakenly sent to adult facilities, and interviews with social workers did not always take place, in addition to children being sent alone in taxis to their accommodations, according to the Independent. 

In response to a parliamentary question last July, Home Office Minister Tom Pursglove said that unaccompanied child asylum seekers spend an average of 15.5 days in hotels before being transferred elsewhere and are supported by comprehensive care from professional care workers, social workers and nurses, adding that the Home Office is only concerned with the occupancy of the hotels used for these children, and other guests cannot stay there, according to the Independent. 

The Local Report mentioned that a government spokesperson affirmed that the UK is facing unprecedented levels of demand for hotel accommodations for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children due to the non-stop increase in arrivals of migrants. 

The spokesperson asserted that the loss of any child is considered extremely serious, and that is why they are working closely with local authorities and the police to enforce strict protocols regarding missing persons in order to ensure their safety.