Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that unaccompanied migrants under the age of 18 have gone missing from hotel accommodation; what safeguards they have in place to protect such children; and what links they have identified between these disappearances and human traffickers.

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) in emergency interim hotels are as safe and supported as possible whilst we seek urgent placements with a local authority.

Young people are supported by team leaders and support workers who are on site 24 hours a day. Further care is provided in hotels by teams of social workers and nurses. Staff, including contractors, receive a number of briefings and guidance on how to safeguard children. All UASC receive a welfare interview on arrival in the UK. This includes a series of questions specifically designed to understand whether there are any potential indicators of trafficking. A referral is made to the National Referral Mechanism if indicators are noted. A safety plan is put in place by social services.. The Home Office and its accommodation providers have robust processes in place to ensure that where someone is at risk, they are referred to the appropriate statutory agencies of the police, NHS and social services, to promote appropriate safeguarding interventions

The Home Office has no power to hold asylum seekers, including minors, in hotels or any temporary accommodation if they wish to leave. Once in a hotel where UASC are accommodated, there are various measures in place to ensure that the risk of a child going missing is minimised. Records are kept and monitored of children leaving and returning to the hotel. Support workers will accompany children off site on activities and social excursions, or where specific vulnerabilities are identified.