Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to tackle trends in the level of migrant children who go missing after their arrival in the UK.

The wellbeing of children and minors in our care is an absolute priority.

Robust safeguarding and welfare procedures are in place to ensure all children and minors are safe and supported.

All asylum seekers, including children, have an interview on arrival in the UK which includes a series of questions designed to understand whether there are any potential indicators of trafficking and, if so, tailored plans are put in place to address any vulnerabilities.

Records are kept and monitored of children leaving and returning to interim hotels. Support workers will accompany children off site on activities and social excursions, or where specific vulnerabilities are identified.

However, the Home Office has no power to hold children in hotels or any temporary accommodation if they wish to leave. All sites have security staff to ensure the safety and welfare of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

When a young person goes missing the ‘missing persons protocol’ is followed and led by our directly engaged social workers. A multi-agency missing persons protocol is mobilised alongside the police, who have the statutory responsibility for finding missing children, and local authorities to establish their whereabouts and to ensure that they are safe.