Dozens of Albanian Child Migrants Go Missing

Almost 20% of unaccompanied child migrants from Albania taken in by Kent County Council this year have disappeared. Reports said.

The local authority took in 197 Albanian children up to 31 October, 39 of whom have gone missing.

Ecpat UK, which ‘campaigns to protect children’ from exploitation, said the figures were very concerning.

The council said it had ‘worked closely’ with the Home Office and police to safeguard vulnerable children.

The figures were obtained by the BBC via a Freedom of Information request.

“The council said 197 Albanian children processed at the Home Office’s Kent Intake Unit came into its care between 1 January and 31 October.”

It added that, as of 7 November, 39 were recorded as missing. However, it said some of those children would have since turned 18.

Government figures collated by the BBC show 44,122 people have crossed on small boats so far this year, compared with 28,461 who arrived in 2021.

This contributed to overcrowding at the Manston processing centre in Kent, which at one point was holding more than double its capacity, at about 4,000 people.

The rising number of diphtheria cases among asylum seekers who have recently arrived in the UK has also been a concern.

Meanwhile, a government plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda is currently on hold as it faces a legal challenge.

BBC/Shakirat Sadiq