The UK government is facing renewed pressure from campaigners to stop housing underage immigrants in hotels after some children were reportedly abducted.
More than 100 charities, including children’s charities Barnardo’s and NSPCC, signed an open letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, calling for an immediate end to the practice, according to campaign coordinator End Child Prostitution and Trafficking (ECPAT) UK and the Refugee Council.
Charities including ECPAT UK have previously issued multiple warnings to ministers and government departments about the dangers of the Home Office accommodating children in these hotels.
Patricia Durr, CEO of ECPAT UK, accused the government of ignoring the warnings and taking a “discriminatory approach to some of the most vulnerable children,” and she called on the government to fund local authorities with sufficient funds to boost children’s services capacity….