The charity ECPAT UK has launched legal action against the Home Office, arguing that placing unaccompanied children in asylum hotels is 'unlawful'. The move comes after hundreds of youngsters living in such hotels have gone missing, with some believed to have been trafficked by gangs.
According to a parliamentary debate last Thursday, 154 of the missing children are still unaccounted for, despite police efforts. The Observer previously revealed how dozens of asylum-seeking children were abducted from a single Home Office hotel in Brighton, with some later found as far away as Scotland.
ECPAT UK said it had repeatedly tried to persuade ministers to end the 'unsafe practice', but the Home Office has yet to commit to an exit strategy. The government has instead sought to legislate to grant itself powers to accommodate unaccompanied children, a role traditionally held by local authorities.
Patricia Durr, chief executive of ECPAT UK, described the situation as 'a national child protection scandal'. She stated: 'Children have been harmed, children are missing, and children have been exploited.' The charity is also challenging Kent County Council's 'derogation of duties' after it refused to accept more child migrants two years ago.
The legal action follows a family court ruling on Friday that unaccompanied children should be considered 'children in need' and receive full protection under the Children Act 1989, meaning local authorities must look after them. The Home Office minister Robert Jenrick told parliament last week that no children are currently in Home Office hotels, though this could change.
