Forty children who disappeared from asylum hotels remain missing years later

Forty people who disappeared from asylum hotels as children have still not been found, according to a new parliamentary report.

All but two are now adults, the Joint Committee on Human Rights said, several years after more than 400 unaccompanied children seeking asylum were reported missing from hotels used by the Home Office. Some were as young as 12.

Children’s Commissioner for England Dame Rachel de Souza described the situation as an “unacceptable failure” and called on the government to explain what action is being taken to find them.

Concerns have previously been raised that some of the children may have been trafficked or subjected to exploitation.

The committee said it was “extremely concerned” and has asked the Home Office to investigate why the children disappeared, outline measures to prevent further cases and provide progress updates every three months.

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