New report from Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit: “This system destroys you”: Children trapped in adult asylum hotels by the Home Office.
The report is about the experiences of the unaccompanied children we work with whose ages were disbelieved by Home Office officials at the border, and so were sent to adult asylum hotels in the North West. We know that this has happened to at least 296 confirmed children in the North West, in a period of just over a year.
One child said "I feel like I am going to die. It is a very bad life in the hotel.” Children told us they were worried about their mental health, their physical safety and their nutrition, and that they were lonely and isolated in adult accommodation. In this situation they are at high risk of exploitation. Due to a combination of language barriers, poor training and unclear policy, we found it takes far too long for children to get the social services referral they need to be assessed and get out of the hotel. Sometimes they are trapped there for many months.
The report is a call to action, highlighting an ongoing safeguarding catastrophe. GMIAU's key recommendation is that the Home Office must acknowledge that their practice at the border is leading to children being sent to adult accommodation. Then measures can be put in place to urgently prevent further harm. The report includes detailed recommendations for the Home Office, accommodation providers and local authorities.
You can download the full report here and a shorter policy brief here.