Over 160 asylum-seeking children disappear from UK centres

Media report reveals troubling pattern of missing minors from Kent’s facilities, raising safety concerns

KENT, England (MNTV) – More than 160 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children have gone missing from U.K.’s reception centres in Kent county between 2022 and 2024, according to new revelations by British magazine Hyphen.

At least three remain unaccounted for, deepening concerns over the safety and welfare of these vulnerable minors.

The centres, designed as temporary shelters for unaccompanied children before their transfer to other local authorities under the national transfer scheme, are at the heart of the U.K.’s immigration challenge.

Kent, a county in southeastern England being the closest point to mainland Europe, receives the majority of unaccompanied child asylum seekers arriving via small boats across the English Channel.

Since 2023, Kent County Council (KCC) has taken in over 5,128 such minors, many of whom come from Muslim-majority countries, including Albania, Afghanistan, Iran, and Syria.

The data, obtained by Hyphen through freedom of information requests, reveals a persistent trend of disappearances. In 2024 alone, 17 children went missing 25 times from reception centres.

The issue, however, stretches back several years. In 2023, a total of 74 children disappeared, while 62 were reported missing in 2022.

Some of these children were missing for weeks, and in certain cases, over a month before being located. The data raises pressing questions about the effectiveness of safeguarding measures at these centres, which cost the UK government an estimated £60 million per year to operate.

Despite assurances from authorities, concerns persist that these vulnerable minors are at high risk of human trafficking, exploitation, and other forms of abuse.

Reports indicate that many children are disappearing without a trace, prompting urgent calls for reform in the way unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors are housed and protected.

The alarming rate of disappearances has led to growing scrutiny of the government’s ability to safeguard vulnerable children.

Kent’s reception centres, meant to be a place of safety, have instead become a focal point of controversy, with child protection advocates warning that the system is failing those most in need.

Rachel de Souza, England’s Children’s Commissioner, has expressed “deep concern” over the situation, telling Hyphen that she intends to write to Kent County Council for assurances on safeguarding measures.

“The safety of these children must be an absolute priority. The fact that so many are disappearing raises serious concerns about their vulnerability to trafficking and exploitation,” she said.

Kent police have stated that the majority of missing children are eventually found, but not all cases have a resolution. According to data compiled by Hyphen, as of January 22, 2025, at least 81 children who previously disappeared from Home Office care remain unaccounted for.

The steady influx of asylum-seeking children has placed significant pressure on Kent’s child protection services.

Under the 1989 Children Act, local councils are legally required to provide housing and support for unaccompanied minors who arrive in the U.K. without guardians. However, with numbers continuing to rise, Kent has struggled to keep up with demand.

While the national transfer scheme is meant to redistribute asylum-seeking children to other local authorities, many remain in Kent for extended periods due to bottlenecks in the system.

Calls for urgent attention

Critics argue that this has contributed to the failures in safeguarding, as overstretched services are unable to provide adequate supervision and care.

The growing crisis has sparked calls for urgent intervention from both child protection organisations and government officials. 

Experts warn that without stricter monitoring, improved safeguarding measures, and increased funding for reception centres, the disappearances will continue.

Campaigners are urging the government to implement stricter oversight of reception centres and improve the process of tracking and protecting unaccompanied minors.

 “We need a fundamental overhaul of the system,” said a spokesperson for a leading child protection charity. “No child should be allowed to vanish without a trace, yet this has become a disturbingly common occurrence.”

With the number of missing children rising each year, pressure is mounting on the Home Office and Kent County Council to act swiftly. The question remains: how many more children will disappear before urgent reforms are made?