UK County Reports 345 Missing Children from Care
Shocking new figures reveal that nearly 350 unaccompanied child migrants have gone missing from one UK county shortly after arriving. According to data from Kent County Council, obtained through a Freedom of Information request, 345 child asylum seekers disappeared while in the care of local authorities.
The data shows that 56 of those children are still missing, and there are fears that many may have fallen into the hands of traffickers. Experts have voiced serious concern over the figures, with one calling them ‘shocking’.
The Guardian obtained the figures, reporting that 132 children went missing from two Home Office-run hotels for kids in Kent between 2021 and 2023.
Out of the 132 children, 24 are still unaccounted for, while 108 have since been found.
In the same period, 213 children disappeared from the council’s reception centres. So far, 182 have been found, but 32 are still missing.
Esme Madill, from the Migrant and Refugee Children’s Legal Unit at Islington Law Centre, told The Guardian, ‘Behind each number is a frightened child who will already have experienced egregious human rights abuses before arriving in the UK seeking safety.’
“When we represent children who have escaped after being trafficked whilst ‘missing’ in the UK, we see how their mental and physical health is permanently harmed by the abuse they experience during this time.”
Patricia Durr, chief executive of Every Child Protected Against Trafficking UK, also raised concerns about trafficking and urged authorities to ‘prioritise child safeguarding.’
The Guardian says many of the missing children arrived via small boats or hidden in lorries, mostly landing in Kent.
So far this year, around 36,954 people have crossed the Channel in small boats — already surpassing the 36,818 recorded for all of 2024.
A Home Office spokesperson said the department prioritises the welfare and safety of unaccompanied child asylum seekers and takes ‘children going missing extremely seriously.’”
“Meanwhile, a Kent County Council spokesperson said any missing child from care is a ‘serious concern and we take every effort to protect them.’
