Asylum-seeking Children: Hotel Accommodation

Expressed concern over the Home Office's responsibility to locate missing asylum-seeking children in hotel accommodation. Quoted statistics of 440 missing episodes and 186 children still unaccounted for as of April 2023. Criticised the Illegal Migration Bill for undermining legal obligations on devolved Administrations, preventing proper care for these children. Asked the Minister to give way on a point during Stephen Kinnock's speech.

She is concerned about the Home Office's practice of using hotels to house unaccompanied children seeking safety in the UK. Since July 2021, there have been 447 missing episodes and 186 children are still missing according to figures revealed in a parliamentary question. She raised concerns about the lack of legal basis for this practice and urged the Minister to commit to a full consultation with local authorities on all aspects of the scheme.

Jim Shannon expressed a moral obligation to help displaced individuals, especially women and children who are oppressed or in danger. He highlighted that 4,500 unaccompanied migrant children were placed in hotels since June 2021, with 440 missing as of April 2023. Shannon was concerned about the increase in potential child victims from 5,028 to 5,468 and stressed that children in hotels should receive adequate protection similar to looked-after children.

Noted a specific issue in Carmarthenshire where a hotel will be used for housing asylum seekers without consultation with the local authority or Welsh Government, questioning the UK Government's unilateral action.

Congratulated the hon. Lady for obtaining the debate and questioned the Home Office's interaction with the devolved Scottish Government and local authorities in Scotland, finding its approach disappointing and unresponsive to devolution. Asked if unaccompanied children would be housed at Stradey Park Hotel in her constituency and what measures would prevent them from going missing.

Ms Blake raised concerns about the 440 missing asylum-seeking children and the safety of those who have not been found. She questioned whether the Home Office had followed proper protocols in handling these cases, and asked for a report on lessons learned and steps to prevent future disappearances. Additionally, she criticised the accommodation of unaccompanied minors in hotels since 2021, stating that this practice should be reconsidered under section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009. Ms Blake also highlighted issues with local authority involvement and the high costs associated with placements for these children.

Labour has proposed a five-point plan to address the asylum system's chaos, including scrapping the Rwanda scheme and forming agreements with France for returning asylum seekers. Concerns were raised about changes in January regarding short-term holding facilities, especially for women and children fleeing sexual violence.

Mr Tahir Ali expressed outrage over the more than 400 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children who have gone missing from Home Office hotels since July 2021. He criticised the government for failing to address this issue adequately, highlighting that 200 of these children were still reported as missing in January, with no clear indication of improvement. He called for an urgent intervention and collaboration among departments to ensure the safety of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

Asked about the 186 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children who were still missing from Home Office-run hotels in January, highlighting the failure to safeguard vulnerable young people.