40 asylum-seeking children still missing in UK

The committee said all but two of the missing children are now adults. Children's Commissioner for England Dame Rachel de Souza described the situation as an “unacceptable failure” and called on the government to explain what action is being taken to locate them.

The report comes three years after hundreds of unaccompanied children seeking asylum were reported missing from hotels used by the Home Office to accommodate them.

Concerns over exploitation

In a letter to the committee last year, Angela Eagle, then border security and asylum minister, said some children who were later found had been “in exploitative situations and may have been trafficked.”

The committee said it was “extremely concerned” that 40 children remain missing and urged the Home Office to provide details of efforts to locate them.

It also called for investigations into why the children disappeared and measures to prevent similar cases involving unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

The Home Office-operated accommodation for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children closed in January 2024. The Home Office said the vast majority of children reported missing from the facilities have since been located.

Police lead missing-person investigations

A Home Office spokesperson said police forces are responsible for investigating missing-child cases and that the department continues to review its records and share relevant information with police.

The department also said it was working with local authorities and safeguarding partners to support investigations into the remaining cases.

The committee's report places renewed scrutiny on the government's handling of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and the safeguards in place to protect them after they arrive in the UK.

Source:AA