Still missing: Fears over 40 asylum-seeking children who vanished in the UK
Dozens of children who went missing from asylum hotels in the UK have still not been found years later. More than 470 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children went missing from hotels in 2023, with 40 still to be found, a Human Rights Joint Committee report says. The figure has been falling gradually, from 118 in 2024 to 78 in 2025. The report's authors say all but two of the 40 who remain missing…
The Human Rights Joint Committee has expressed deep concern over the disappearance of 40 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children who have gone missing from hotels in the UK since 2023. The report reveals that only two of these children remain missing, and they are now adults. The committee has urged the government to publish data on missing children and provide regular updates on their efforts to locate them.
Experts warn that these vulnerable children may be at risk of exploitation by organized crime groups. In March 2024, a court ruled that using hotels for permanent housing of unaccompanied children was unlawful, leading to the closure of seven such hotels. The UK government plans to phase out this practice ahead of the next election, opting for alternative accommodations like former military barracks.
The situation has been criticized as an "unacceptable failure," with England’s Children’s Commissioner emphasizing that every child has the right to a safe asylum process and adequate support.
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