More than 50 unaccompanied child asylum seekers who disappeared after arriving in the UK remain missing, according to new data obtained through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.
Figures released to The Guardian by Kent County Council show that 345 children have gone missing from the council’s care, with 56 still unaccounted for.
Many of the children are believed to have entered the UK by crossing the Channel in small boats or by hiding in the backs of lorries. Authorities suspect that some of the children may have been taken by traffickers.
Kent County Council, which is led by Reform UK, has faced ongoing challenges managing the number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children arriving in the area.
A council spokesperson said: ‘Any child or young person missing from care is a serious concern and we take every effort to protect them.
‘Unaccompanied asylum seeker children are vulnerable to being trafficked and exploited due to their separation from family and circumstances of their journeys to the UK.’
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