Missing asylum seeking children in the U.K- the continued plight
On Wednesday, June 5th, 2024, BBC reported that a High Court decision was made on a case brought against the Home Office in 2023 by Every Child Protected Against Trafficking (ECPAT UK) that highlighted the unlawful practice of housing unaccompanied child asylum seekers in hotels. The court decided that the “routine” housing of unaccompanied child asylum seekers in the hotels was unlawful.
Before this ruling, a whistleblower at a Home Office-run hotel shed light on the significant harm faced by these children. Instances include reports of children being trafficked and gone missing, never to be found again. Additional reports revealed cases of abuse and maltreatment inflicted upon the vulnerable children by hotel staff. With this turning point ruling, the issue of children who have gone and are continuing to go missing persists, and with no measures in place to care for their well-being, things only stand to get worse.