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Question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how old each the 116 unaccompanied migrant children missing from Home Office funded hotels are; and for how long each of those children (a) were housed in hotels before they went missing and (b) have been missing.

This answer is the replacement for a previous holding answer.

Answer

Answered on

21 October 2022

The UK is experiencing an unprecedented increase in the number of people making life-threatening journeys to cross the Channel. These boats are often carrying unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) and this has placed unprecedented pressure on the National Transfer Scheme. Out of necessity and with the children’s best interests in mind, we have arranged for them to be accommodated on an emergency and temporary basis in hotels whilst placements with local authorities are being vigorously pursued.

We have safeguarding procedures in place to ensure all unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in emergency interim hotels are as safe and supported as possible, whilst we seek urgent placements with a local authority. Young people are supported by team leaders and support workers who are on site 24 hours a day. Further care is provided in hotels by teams of social workers and nurses.

The Home Office has no power to hold children in hotels or any temporary accommodation if they wish to leave. To minimise the risk of a child going missing, records of children leaving and returning to the hotel are kept and monitored. Support workers accompany children off site on activities and social excursions, or where specific vulnerabilities are identified.

Any child going missing is extremely serious, and we work with the police and local authorities to seek to urgently locate them and ensure they are safe.

Since July 2021 to 19 October this year, there have been 391 missing episodes of young people from the Home Office UASC Hotels (the term missing episodes is used as the same young person may go missing on more than one occasion).

As of 19 October, 222 young people are missing - please see table below. Please note that the data is taken from a live information database and therefore is subject to change as that system is updated.

Age When Went Missing	No Of Days Accommodated in Hotels for Before They Went Missing	No of Days They Have Been Missing For (as of 19.10.22)
17	7	339
17	0	333
15	9	331
17	4	330
16	9	272
17	1	234
17	0	231
17	1	212
16	1	210
17	1	185
17	1	185
16	0	186
17	0	186
17	1	185
17	1	185
17	4	181
16	3	181
17	0	170
17	1	169
17	0	169
17	0	165
16	2	155
17	0	153
17	5	151
17	2	147
17	5	144
17	1	139
16	0	138
17	5	136
16	2	121
16	5	120
17	6	118
17	4	116
17	1	113
17	4	109
15	5	107
17	17	107
17	1	105
17	2	100
17	1	97
17	1	97
17	1	97
17	0	95
17	1	92
17	1	92
15	3	91
17	5	89
17	1	90
15	0	86
16	1	85
17	8	84
16	10	82
16	1	80
16	1	80
17	0	78
17	2	78
17	2	77
17	4	76
16	2	76
17	2	76
17	3	76
17	1	76
16	1	76
17	2	74
16	3	72
17	2	71
17	5	71
16	2	71
16	2	71
17	3	69
16	6	69
15	5	70
17	3	68
15	3	68
17	2	66
17	1	66
16	10	66
16	2	65
16	1	64
17	2	64
17	2	64
17	3	64
17	1	63
17	3	63
17	0	63
17	3	62
17	1	59
17	15	60
17	1	60
16	1	60
17	15	60
16	4	58
17	4	58
17	4	57
17	18	57
17	1	56
15	0	56
17	1	56
17	0	56
17	0	56
17	1	55
17	3	55
17	3	55
17	2	55
17	9	55
17	21	55
17	2	55
16	3	54
17	2	54
17	2	54
17	2	54
17	7	53
17	1	53
17	3	53
16	3	53
16	3	53
17	2	52
17	2	52
17	3	52
17	3	52
17	4	52
17	1	52
17	2	52
17	3	52
16	10	52
17	1	53
15	4	51
15	4	51
16	4	51
16	2	51
16	3	51
16	6	50
17	3	50
17	3	50
17	3	50
17	3	48
17	3	48
17	15	48
17	15	48
16	3	48
17	0	45
17	5	45

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Undocumented Migrants: Children

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