Nearly 2,400 children who were trafficked or arrived in the UK alone to claim asylum went missing while in local authority care last year, according to a new report. The data, released on Tuesday by children's rights organisation ECPAT UK and the charity Missing People, highlights what charities describe as widespread failures in the care system.
The report, based on Freedom of Information requests to children's services departments, found that trafficked and unaccompanied children are at particularly high risk of sexual or criminal exploitation when they go missing. In 2024 alone, 2,638 children in care were identified or suspected of being trafficked, of whom 864 (37 per cent) were reported missing. Additionally, 1,501 of the 12,530 unaccompanied children in care (13 per cent) went missing, a 2 per cent increase from the previous year.
Jane Hunter, head of research and impact at Missing People, said: “Trafficked and unaccompanied children are disappearing from care at alarming rates, suggesting that effective safeguards are often not in place for these children.” She called for systemic reform, including appropriate accommodation and improved awareness of the National Referral Mechanism for identifying trafficking victims.
Laura Duran, head of policy at ECPAT UK, added: “These children are not just statistics – they are individuals who have already endured unimaginable trauma. When they go missing from care, they are at extreme risk of further exploitation.” The report notes that many current systems, including an insecure immigration system, may exacerbate the risk, and that actual figures are likely higher as not all local authorities responded.
A government spokesperson said the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill represents the biggest overhaul of children’s social care in a generation, aiming to improve care placements, information sharing, and multi-agency child protection teams. The Independent and Missing People continue their SafeCall appeal to raise £165,000 for a free support service for missing children.
