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Written Question
Refugees: Children
Monday 31st July 2023

Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many unaccompanied migrant children who have gone missing from hotels run by the Home Office have since been arrested; and for what offences.

Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth

UASC hotels are temporary accommodation that provide safeguarding for a child until they are ready to be transferred through the National Transfer Scheme (NTS) from an entry local authority to another local authority in the UK for ongoing care and support.

We take the safety of those in our care seriously. We have robust safeguarding procedures in place to ensure all young people in emergency interim hotels are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with a local authority.

The data requested cannot be provided as it comes from live operational databases that have not been quality assured.

The most recent published data can be found at Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Although the Home Office would record that an Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Child (UASC) who’s gone missing from a UASC Hotel was arrested when they were found, we aren’t always notified of the full circumstances in which a UASC is found, and therefore we would not be able to provide details for this request.


Written Question
Refugees: Children
Monday 31st July 2023

Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many unaccompanied migrant children who have gone missing from hotels run by the Home Office have since been found.

Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth

UASC hotels are temporary accommodation that provide safeguarding for a child until they are ready to be transferred through the National Transfer Scheme (NTS) from an entry local authority to another local authority in the UK for ongoing care and support.

We take the safety of those in our care seriously. We have robust safeguarding procedures in place to ensure all young people in emergency interim hotels are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with a local authority.

The data requested cannot be provided as it comes from live operational databases that have not been quality assured.

The most recent published data can be found at Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Although the Home Office would record that an Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Child (UASC) who’s gone missing from a UASC Hotel was arrested when they were found, we aren’t always notified of the full circumstances in which a UASC is found, and therefore we would not be able to provide details for this request.


Written Question
Refugees: Children
Monday 31st July 2023

Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many unaccompanied migrant children have gone missing from hotels run by the Home Office.

Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth

UASC hotels are temporary accommodation that provide safeguarding for a child until they are ready to be transferred through the National Transfer Scheme (NTS) from an entry local authority to another local authority in the UK for ongoing care and support.

We take the safety of those in our care seriously. We have robust safeguarding procedures in place to ensure all young people in emergency interim hotels are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with a local authority.

The data requested cannot be provided as it comes from live operational databases that have not been quality assured.

The most recent published data can be found at Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Although the Home Office would record that an Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Child (UASC) who’s gone missing from a UASC Hotel was arrested when they were found, we aren’t always notified of the full circumstances in which a UASC is found, and therefore we would not be able to provide details for this request.


Written Question
Asylum: Children
Tuesday 23rd May 2023

Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government under which legal provision the Home Office has assumed child protection powers for unaccompanied migrant children.

Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth

We expect local authorities to meet their statutory obligations to children from the date they arrive in the UK. The best place for these young people is and will remain within a local authority care placement.

The Home Office is not currently in the position of corporate parent to any unaccompanied child.

There is nothing in the Illegal Migration Bill which changes this position.

It will continue to be for the local authority where an unaccompanied child is located to consider its duties under the Children Act 1989.


Written Question
Asylum: Children
Monday 3rd April 2023

Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many unaccompanied migrant children placed in hotels have gone missing in each of the last five years.

Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth

The Home Office takes the wellbeing, welfare and security of children and minors in our care extremely seriously. Robust safeguarding procedures are in place to ensure all children and minors are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with local authorities.

As of 28.02.23 there were 410 missing episodes and on 224 of these occasions the young person was subsequently located.


Written Question
Asylum: Children
Wednesday 29th March 2023

Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what system of monitoring they use to ensure that hotels accommodating unaccompanied migrant children meet the standards necessary for that purpose.

Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth

Any legal advice received by the Home Office is subject to legal professional privilege and, as such, we do not comment on legal advice that may or may not have been sought or received.

When considering whether to accommodate Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) in Home Office operated hotels, advice and guidance was sought from organisations with expertise and experience with young people. These included the Department for Education, the Home Office Safeguarding Advice and Children’s Champion and local authorities.

This information was used to develop the processes and procedures to ensure the safety of the young people accommodated in the hotels.

Safeguarding is a key consideration when identifying potential hotels for temporary use. The Home Office undertake hotel specific risk assessments before contracting any site.

The Home Office takes the wellbeing, welfare and security of children and minors in our care extremely seriously. Robust safeguarding procedures are in place to ensure all children and minors are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with local authorities.

We continue to consult multi-agency partners and subject matter experts to ensure our processes and procedures are robust and evolve as new trends or risks emerge.


Written Question
Asylum: Children
Wednesday 29th March 2023

Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what criteria they use to decide whether a hotel used to accommodate unaccompanied migrant children is suitable for that use.

Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth

Any legal advice received by the Home Office is subject to legal professional privilege and, as such, we do not comment on legal advice that may or may not have been sought or received.

When considering whether to accommodate Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) in Home Office operated hotels, advice and guidance was sought from organisations with expertise and experience with young people. These included the Department for Education, the Home Office Safeguarding Advice and Children’s Champion and local authorities.

This information was used to develop the processes and procedures to ensure the safety of the young people accommodated in the hotels.

Safeguarding is a key consideration when identifying potential hotels for temporary use. The Home Office undertake hotel specific risk assessments before contracting any site.

The Home Office takes the wellbeing, welfare and security of children and minors in our care extremely seriously. Robust safeguarding procedures are in place to ensure all children and minors are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with local authorities.

We continue to consult multi-agency partners and subject matter experts to ensure our processes and procedures are robust and evolve as new trends or risks emerge.


Written Question
Asylum: Children
Wednesday 29th March 2023

Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have sought legal advice on the powers of the Home Office to place unaccompanied migrant children in hotels.

Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth

Any legal advice received by the Home Office is subject to legal professional privilege and, as such, we do not comment on legal advice that may or may not have been sought or received.

When considering whether to accommodate Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) in Home Office operated hotels, advice and guidance was sought from organisations with expertise and experience with young people. These included the Department for Education, the Home Office Safeguarding Advice and Children’s Champion and local authorities.

This information was used to develop the processes and procedures to ensure the safety of the young people accommodated in the hotels.

Safeguarding is a key consideration when identifying potential hotels for temporary use. The Home Office undertake hotel specific risk assessments before contracting any site.

The Home Office takes the wellbeing, welfare and security of children and minors in our care extremely seriously. Robust safeguarding procedures are in place to ensure all children and minors are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with local authorities.

We continue to consult multi-agency partners and subject matter experts to ensure our processes and procedures are robust and evolve as new trends or risks emerge.


Written Question
Armed Forces: Commonwealth
Thursday 1st October 2020

Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord True on 9 September (HL Deb, col 758), on what date Ministers will complete their discussions on visa fees for Commonwealth nationals who have served in the Armed Forces and want to remain in the UK.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)

The Government highly values the service of all members of HM Forces, including Commonwealth nationals.

It is for these reasons we explicitly provide for non-UK veterans discharged from HM Forces to obtain settlement in the UK after having served for four years or more or having been discharged for medical reasons due to their service.

The Ministry of Defence make clear to foreign and Commonwealth recruits into the Forces the process by which they and their families can attain settlement in the UK and the costs involved.


Written Question
Armed Forces: Commonwealth
Wednesday 30th September 2020

Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to help armed forces personnel from Commonwealth countries to settle in the UK.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)

The Government highly values the service of all members of HM Forces, including Commonwealth nationals.

It is for these reasons we explicitly provide for non-UK veterans discharged from HM Forces to obtain settlement in the UK after having served for four years or more or having been discharged for medical reasons due to their service.

The Ministry of Defence make clear to foreign and Commonwealth recruits into the Forces the process by which they and their families can attain settlement in the UK and the costs involved.