LONDON: Roughly one child refugee went missing every week from unregulated government hotels during the second half of 2021, The Independent reported on Tuesday.
Last year, 16 children went missing from Hotel Housing Channel Arrival in just five months.
According to newly revealed data, four others disappeared within a week at the end of November. Half of these children have not been found.
Many lonely children who arrive in the UK by crossing the English Channel are described as having “inappropriate” hotel accommodation, which experts believe could put them at risk of abuse or exploitation.
It is unclear where the missing children came from, but the most recent government figures on the ethnicity of refugees arriving in Britain via the channel show that Iranians make up the majority, followed by Iraqis, Syrians and Afghans.
According to The Independent, hundreds of unaccompanied children are housed in five hotels in the south of England.
Dozens of them are under the age of 14, and a small number of unaccompanied minors are under the age of 10.
Data obtained under freedom of information laws showed that 16 minors went missing from these hotels between July 20 and November 25 – roughly one per week. Four others had gone missing from November 25 to December 2. Of these, 10 were later traced, while 10 others are still missing.
“After escaping unimaginable dangers to travel here, these children should have finally felt safe and protected,” Bela Sankey, director of Detention Action, told The Independent.
“Instead, Home Secretary Priti Patel has ignored all warnings that these hotels were unfit for children and must now take action to find these missing children before it is too late.”
Ellen Ortiz, founder of the Hummingbird Refugee Project, warns that some children may be missing out to pay off “debts” they accrued during their trip to the UK.
During her work in the French city of Calais, she said she saw children being taken advantage of by some adults.
“We saw the level of exploitation of children and youth by traffickers and gangs in Calais,” she said.
“We also heard about harassment and violence against youths by gang members to repay their ‘debt’. I believe this may have contributed to the cause of missing children in the UK.
The Refugee Council said it would terminate its agreement with the government to provide advice and support to children alone in hotels because it does not believe that the long-term use of hotels for child refugees “meets their needs or is appropriate.” Is.” Is.”
The council continued: “These are very vulnerable and victimized children who have already suffered horrific experiences and are at risk of neglect or worse exploitation, unless all steps are taken to keep them safe.”
A government spokesman said it takes any child missing issue “extremely seriously” and works “closely” with local authorities to ensure vulnerable children are “appropriately supported”.