Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether police informed her Department that asylum-seeking children who had recently arrived in the UK without parents or carers and who were staying in Home Office accommodation could be targeted by human traffickers.

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 to identify any vulnerabilities.

If there are any indicators that a child is potentially at risk of modern slavery a referral is made to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). The Single Competent Authority (SCA) will make a decision on this referral.  Children who are identified to be at risk are placed on a safety plan by the safeguarding team.

We have no power to detain unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) in temporary hotel accommodation. Many of those who have gone missing are subsequently traced and located. There are many reasons why children go missing from care and this is also true of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

The safety and wellbeing of those in our care is our primary concern. Robust safeguarding and welfare procedures are in place to ensure all children and minors are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with a local authority. This includes support workers being onsite in the hotels 24 hours a day, including nurses and social workers. All contingency sites have security staff on site and providers liaise closely with local police to ensure the welfare and safety of vulnerable residents.