Forty children missing from UK asylum hotels still not found
A parliamentary report reveals that forty children who went missing from UK asylum hotels have still not been located, prompting MPs and peers to demand answers from ministers.
Forty children who went missing from hotels housing asylum seekers in the UK have still not been found, according to a parliamentary report. The joint committee on human rights said it was “extremely concerned” about the group, two of whom are believed to still be under 18. The disclosure has prompted calls from MPs and peers for ministers to explain what they are doing to locate the missing young people.
The figure emerged in a report published on Thursday examining how the social care system is failing young adults. The committee welcomed the fact that most of the 472 children reported missing from asylum hotels have been found, but said the remaining forty remain unaccounted for. The report highlights ongoing concerns about the welfare of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children placed in hotel accommodation rather than specialist care settings.
Whistleblowers previously told investigators that asylum seekers were absconding from their hotel accommodation “daily”, raising serious safeguarding questions. The new parliamentary findings add to mounting pressure on the Home Office over its use of hotels to house vulnerable young people while their asylum claims are processed. Critics have long argued that hotels are unsuitable for children and leave them exposed to exploitation and trafficking risks.
The committee’s report forms part of a broader inquiry into the social care system’s treatment of young adults, including care leavers and those who arrive in the UK without guardians. MPs and peers are now seeking assurances from the government about the steps being taken to trace the missing children and prevent further disappearances. The Home Office has yet to issue a detailed response to the latest findings.
The case has renewed debate about the UK’s asylum accommodation policies, particularly the reliance on hotels for unaccompanied minors. Campaigners have repeatedly called for children to be moved into regulated foster care or specialist supported accommodation, where their safety and wellbeing can be properly monitored. The report’s authors stressed that every missing child represents a potential safeguarding failure with long-term consequences.
While the majority of the 472 children reported missing have been located, the fate of the remaining forty remains unknown. The committee said it would continue to monitor the situation and expects the government to provide a clear account of its search efforts. The findings are likely to feature in upcoming parliamentary scrutiny of asylum and child protection policy.
