The Home Office confirmed more than 2,000 children who entered the UK over the last four years have been victims of human trafficking, according to new statistics.
Recent data has shown that 2,634 children were referred by the Home Office to a scheme for supporting victims of slavery.
Once a refugee child has been placed on the national referral system, the Home Office determines if they have been trafficked and whether or not they need long-term support.
Data obtained by The Times under Freedom of Information requests shows that 2208 of those claims were based on confirmed human trafficking cases.
New statistics show that more than 2000 children have been trafficked into the UK in the past four years. (file photo of migrants at Dungeness beach on December 16, 2021).
Enver Solomon, the Refugee Council’s chief executive officer, stated that data shows how many children have been sold to traffickers.
According to him, The Times reported that he had told The Times that the Home Office and social services must take all the necessary measures to make sure they’re kept safe once they’re here.
“What they have experienced is unbelievable and they need high levels of support to get over their traumas and rebuild their lives.”
This is after 3x as many migrants crossed by boat the Channel this year than in 2020.
The perilous trip was made by a record 28381 people in 2021, surpassing the 8410 that made it last year.
In the 12 most recent months, they arrived on at least 1,020 boats. That means that an average of 78 migrants arrives in three boats each day.
Recent data has shown that 2,634 referrals of child refugees were received by the Home Office during this period. These refer to a scheme supporting victims of slavery. 2,008 of these were confirmed. Pictured below: A file image showing migrants at sea onboard the vessel of UK Border Force vessels on December 21st, 2021
It was November that saw the most traffic, with a record 6,869 passengers arriving in 201 vessels.
This is more than in any other month since the Channel’s small boat crisis began.
Also, it saw the record day when 1185 migrants reached 33 boats in Nov 11, followed by the second record day when 1,131 migrants made the journey in 28 boats five day later.
The Channel also suffered the worst tragedy since November 24, when migrants began to navigate one of the busiest shipping routes in the world by small boats.
A total of 27 people, including women and children, died when their rapidly falling dinghy with an engine that was broken sank in freezing water.
The largest death toll since the beginning of the crisis is known only to be two.
These data are available as Home Office statistics have revealed that asylum seekers pretending they’re children has hit a new record.
Over 1,100 people who claimed to be minors were found to have become adults during the 12-month period to September.
The highest figure since 2006.
And 66 per cent of those claiming to be children were in fact not – compared with 47 per cent in 2019/20.
Migration Watch UK (which advocates for tighter border control and analyzes the Home Office figures) suggested that people traffickers encouraged migrants to seek out special privileges.
According to its report, false age claims can also result in adults being placed with young vulnerable people in schools or housing.
Alp Mehmet (chairman of the group) stated that the asylum system was so vulnerable to abuse that people claiming to be child-rearing adults can get the benefit and be placed with minors both in accommodation and school.
The risks that our children face are clear.
“It is time for the Government to stop pandering in to the Immigration Industry and deal with adult migrants as they really are, not just as the people who claim to be.
Children who are underage get better housing and support.
It is the policy to give them the benefit the doubt when they seem to be younger than 25. They can also conduct linguistic analyses and evaluate development.
However, this will change as the Nationality and Borders Bill is passed through both Houses of Parliament.
Iain Duncan Smith (pictured), the former Tory leader who proposed amendments to the, said that the Nationality and Borders Bill needs to differentiate between children who have been trafficked, and those who are ‘economic migrants’
An age assessment board will oversee how decisions are made – with new scientific methods used to determine an applicant’s real age.
Migration Watch however expressed concern that the proposed solutions did not go far enough.
Experts, charities and government officials, together with the Anti-Slavery Commissioner, warn that new legislation could complicate the prosecution of human traffickers. This may discourage victims from seeking aid.
Iain Duncan Smith was a former Tory leader that proposed amendments for the bill to reflect on the fact that many children migrants have been the victims of human traficking.
In a joint statement, Dame Sara Thornton (anti-slavery commissioner) and Dame Vera Baird (victims’ commissioner for England & Wales), stated that the bill “singularly fails” to understand the reality of being a victim.