UK Home Office places more than 100 asylum-seeker children in hotels, defies high court ruling: Report

A report by the Guardian, on Friday (September 1) said that the United Kingdom government has placed more than 100 lone asylum-seeker children in recent weeks. This comes months after the British High Court ruled that the government’s “routine” housing of unaccompanied child asylum seekers in hotels is unlawful.

Over 100 lone asylum-seeker children placed in hotels

The UK Home Office, in a recent court hearing, admitted that they placed at least 130 newly arrived lone asylum-seeker children in hotels, as of August 15 and that some of them had been there before July 27.

The UK High Court, earlier this year, ruled that the Kent county council and the Home Office’s “routine” use of accommodating children in hotels was unlawful. Last week, the court also determined that Kent county council’s approach to children has been unlawful.

The government’s continued use of hotels has also reportedly been condemned by human rights and refugee organisations since more than 200 children have gone missing, reported the Guardian.

More than 100 children are still missing from multiple hotels that the government had placed them leading charity Every Child Protected Against Trafficking (ECPAT) and Brighton and Hove city council to raise concerns about the large number of missing children, reported the Guardian.

“There is a serious possibility that a criminal offence is being committed by hotel owners contracted by the secretary of state to manage what are de facto unregistered children’s homes,” said Brighton and Hove city council, in its arguments submitted to the court.

The British media report had earlier also noted that dozens of children had disappeared from one hotel in Brighton.

Rise in number of migrants

The Kent county council which given its geographical location receives a large number of asylum-seeking children who arrive at the Kent coast in small boats. In recent weeks, the council has admitted that it is struggling to meet its legal obligations to the UK as well as to the children.

The county officials said that they are looking after 661 asylum-seeker children along with 1,030 asylum-seeker care leavers.

“It is with deep regret that, due to ever escalating arrivals, Kent county council is once again in a position whereby it cannot meet both its statutory duties to accept all new unaccompanied child asylum-seeker arrivals, care for them safely and discharge all of its other duties towards vulnerable children and young people in Kent,” said Sue Chandler, cabinet member for children’s services at Kent county council, as quoted by the Guardian.

In July, the High Court ruled that children could be placed in hotels for “very short periods in true emergency situations” but not “systematically or routinely”. At the time, a Home Office spokeswoman had said they had “no option” but to temporarily use hotels.

They had also assured that they are working with the Kent county council as well as local authorities across the UK to “ensure unaccompanied children are provided with the crucial care placements they need.”

The UK high court is also in the midst of presiding overa case callingfor this group of children to be protected with the next hearingscheduled forSeptember 15.

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