We have written to the Prime Minister, along with 100 charities, to call for an end to placing vulnerable children in hotels.
The letter follows the alarming news that 200 children seeking protection in the UK have gone missing from hotels.
The Observer reported claims that some children had been abducted off the street outside the accommodation and rushed into cars.
Patricia Durr, CEO of Every Child Protected Against Trafficking, said: “This is a national child protection failure – the shocking but inevitable consequence of the Home Office practice of directly accommodating separated children outside of the law. The Home Office has no authority, power or expertise in the care and protection of children.”
The letter states: “There is no legal basis for placing children in Home Office hotel accommodation and almost two years into the operation of the scheme which is both unlawful and harmful, it is no longer possible to justify the use of hotels as being ‘temporary’.”
The open letter has been signed by leading UK charities including NSPCC, Barnardo’s and Action for Children.
We have wider concerns that the Home Office’s use of hotels to accommodate people seeking asylum is causing anxiety and stress in some local areas. Read more.
We have also written to the Prime Minister urging him to follow through on his commitment to resettle the families of Afghans who have arrived in the UK. Read more.
Find out more about our work with children and young people.
