Sharp increase in proportion of trafficked children missing from care
Fiona Simpson
Tuesday, April 19, 2022
The proportion of trafficked children who go missing from local authority care has increased by a quarter over two years, new research shows.
One in three trafficked children went missing from council care in England in 2020, 25 per cent more than those who went missing in 2018, a new report from Every Child Protected Against Trafficking UK (ECPAT UK) and Missing People finds.
It notes that in 2020, children who had been trafficked went missing an average of eight times in one year compared with 6.5 times for non-trafficked children in the care system.
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The number of trafficked children has increased from 960 in 2018 to 1,231 in 2020, the report shows.
The charities are warning that the increase in the number of trafficked children missing from care could indicate they are being re-trafficked.
The Nationality and Borders Bill, which is due to return to the House of Commons tomorrow (20 April) will also reduce identification and protection for child victims of trafficking, despite the fact that 4.3 million children have recently been displaced by the war in Ukraine, increasing concerns about the risk of child exploitation and trafficking at borders, the report adds.
It also raises concerns over figures which show that 13 per cent of unaccompanied children went missing from care in 2020.
Patricia Durr, chief executive of ECPAT UK, said: “Our report shows just how much more at risk trafficked and unaccompanied children are, and should prompt action from the government, local authorities, police and all safeguarding partners to ensure that these children are afforded more protection.
"It is hard to understand why the government is currently creating laws that will make this problem worse and will put child victims of trafficking at risk of further exploitation. There is still time for the government to shield children from the dangerous proposals on modern slavery in the Nationality and Borders Bill, and to make clear that all decisions must be taken in children’s best interests.”
