Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2023 to Question 132332 on Asylum: Children, whether each unaccompanied asylum seeking child on arrival at their accommodation will be explicitly informed (a) that they will not be sent to Rwanda, (b) of their rights as a child seeking asylum in the UK, (c) of the risks to them of people seeking to exploit children staying in asylum hotels, (d) of advice to stay safe and (e) about how to seek help if in difficulty; and if she will make a statement.

Hotel accommodation is only ever a temporary means to accommodate the increased number of arriving unaccompanied children, in advance of them entering local authority care. Unaccompanied children are accommodated in hotels for the shortest time possible. No decisions on their immigration status or asylum claims are taken until they are in local authority care.

We take the welfare of those in our care extremely seriously. We have robust safeguarding procedures in place to ensure all unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) temporarily accommodated in hotels are safe and supported whilst we seek urgent placements with a local authority. The young people are given briefings on a range of issues around how to stay safe including (but not limited to), knife crime, drugs and alcohol and water safety.

All contingency sites have security staff on site 24/7 and providers liaise closely with local police to ensure the welfare and safety of vulnerable residents.