OMFG Children being kidnapped from Home Office Hotel

[MorelloKisses]

Children kidnapped from Home Office hotel

"A whistleblower, who works for Home Office, describes children being abducted off the street outside the hotel and bundled into cars".

How is this not top news story?? Those poor children.

These people don't consider themselves children

Oh lovely, another unhelpful blanket statement. I assume you’ve spoken to all of them to know that? I work with asylum seekers, including unaccompanied asylum seeking children. I can’t think of a single generalization I could make about any that would be accurate. Most are incredibly traumatised. Some are better at coping. Some are mature, some are what you’d expect from a 14/15 year old. I assume people commenting on the “maturity” or not of asylum seekers are aware of the effects of trauma on children and teenagers? If not this link is quite informative.

news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/08/violence-and-trauma-in-childhood-accelerate-puberty/

And again, this thread is about the kidnap and trafficking of children and teenagers not for people’s spurious judgements about how old they may be and that it doesn’t matter that minors are being kidnapped because, to paraphrase, “some might be over 18 and anyway even if they’re kids they don’t count as kids because they’re foreign.” Who thinks like that? It’s disgusting.

@AmazonianAvatar Ok, so you’ve never seen any asylum seekers that look like children (I have, I work with them…) and there’s a case where a guy lied about his age.

Therefore it’s ok that teenagers are being kidnapped and trafficked? From one hotel 79 kids went missing. Let’s say for the sake of argument 50 were over 18. That leaves 29 minors who were kidnapped and trafficked. Is that OK? Teenagers are fine to suffer because in your opinion they look “older”? (Guess you missed the article I posted about the effects of trauma, or you just don’t care.)

Regardless of whether you think the headline is emotive, it’s true. We know this as the Home Office has admitted to putting ASYLUM SEEKERS THAT THE HOME OFFICE HAS ASSESSED AS CHILDREN into these hotels.

www.migrationwatchuk.org/news/2021/04/12/victims-of-the-uks-failure-to-enforce-its-borders

Ah yes, Migration Watch again, the anti-immigration think tank. A totally unbiased source.

@Powderandpaint So you think it’s ok that children and teenagers are forcibly trafficked into forced prostitution and modern slavery because other people committed crimes? Really? That’s your take on this?

@BewareTheLibrarians So you think it’s ok that children and teenagers are forcibly trafficked into forced prostitution and modern slavery because other people committed crimes?

???

I really don't understand how you have connected people trafficking with 'other peoples' crimes? Your post makes no sense.

@Powderandpaint This thread is about a specific case of children being kidnapped and trafficked from Home Office hotels.

Your response was to randomly post an article from an anti-immigration think tank about crimes committed by an asylum seeker.

How are you connecting the two? How was that article relevant to this thread? Why are you minimizing children and teenagers being kidnapped and trafficked?

@BewareTheLibrarians What would you like the government to do, as they can't lock them up?

It seems to be a common problem, so what's your solution?

In September 2022 Kent County Council said it took into its care 80 Albanian young people who arrived during the summer unaccompanied but stating that they did not wish to claim asylum: “They’ll come into our care very temporarily and despite everything we do – because we can’t lock them in – they’ll be missing usually within 24 hours. That’s because they have been trafficked into the UK, and the traffickers will be moving them onwards to a final destination where they will be put to work.”

The Above quoted from Migrant & Refugee Childrens' Legal Unit 5/11/22

I think it is the same arguement that went that if one muslim is a terrorist we should assume anyone who vaguely looks muslim* will also be a terrorist.

*although I have no idea what looking like a muslim means.

@Powderandpaint It is a common problem, does that mean it doesn’t matter?

I’ve already suggested solutions in this thread so I won’t repeat myself, as if that’s a genuine question you can find my posts quite easily on this fairly short thread.

And it shouldn’t need saying again, but it shouldn’t need randoms on Mumsnet to set government policy. (Maybe it says a lot about posters’ confidence in my abilities rather than the government’s 😁) Why isn’t the government dealing with this? The Home Office was made aware multiple times that if they put children in hotels, they would be at risk of being trafficked. They chose not to listen to those warnings. One way I can help is to raise awareness of the situation and combat the anti-asylum seeker rhetoric that I see here. What I can’t do is set government policy. Sorry.

(Please also remember that children and teenagers aren’t choosing to be trafficked. They are the victims here.)

As I’ve answered your questions, do you mind answering mine?

How are you connecting the two? How was that article relevant to this thread? Why are you minimizing children and teenagers being kidnapped and trafficked?

@jgw1 Surely that can’t be right, there’s no way people on Mumsmet would be openly -ist about anything! 🫣

I know people say it’s up to the government to solve so they can’t say more on it but this seems highly problematic.

You could have cctv on building but that doesn’t mean they can’t meet out of sight.

If people follow the path which leads to pick up they’d see it’s pre arranged and trafficking. Kidnapping off the street isn’t the right terminology imo as it doesn’t convey accurately the problem faced which is, bar locking them in or stopping arrival in first place, very difficult to stop.

@BewareTheLibrarians Why are you minimizing children and teenagers being kidnapped and trafficked?

I don't believe I am, in the same way I don't believe that all of them are children.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3909138/Albanian-migrants-illegally-sneaking-Britain-posing-child-refugees-putting-school-pupils-foster-families-risk.html

I know people say it’s up to the government to solve so they can’t say more on it but this seems highly problematic.

Hey @MarshaBradyo , we could also acknowledge the helpful suggestions I’ve made in this thread about what the government needs to do? It’s incredibly disheartening to have put forward suggestions earlier in the thread only to have my wish not to repeat myself described as “highly problematic”.

I’ll be honest, it’s not the first time I’ve given suggestions/solutions on an thread only to see you state later on that “no one can give any answers.” If you think my suggestions are shit please feel free to say so, but there’s no need to misrepresent things to make it look like people aren’t suggesting anything.

And is it not true that ultimately the responsibility lies with the current government, especially when they were warned this exact situation would happen?

there’s a case where a guy lied about his age

Yeah, that led to a murder. And he actually had murdered two other people in a third country. Gee, I wonder what could be the problem with letting irregular arrivals into the UK with ZERO background checks?

Therefore it’s ok that teenagers are being kidnapped and trafficked

She doesn’t seem to be saying that. She’s speaking to the overall problem of letting whoever steps foot in the UK stay, taking them at their word that they are children (and using bullshit studies to explain why they look so ‘old’ to our eyes rather than admit the obvious).

Regardless of whether you think the headline is emotive, it’s true. We know this as the Home Office has admitted to putting ASYLUM SEEKERS THAT THE HOME OFFICE HAS ASSESSED AS CHILDREN into these hotels

Unaccompanied teenagers will likely be sent to these hotels now because they have been a threat to vulnerable children in foster and care homes.

It is to prevent situations like this: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3306479/amp/Teenager-claims-gang-raped-five-young-Syrian-migrants-Girl-18-deeply-distressed-subjected-five-hour-ordeal-care-home-Kent.html

Sorry, yes. I was confused.

Its perfectly normal and rationale to call someone what not who just because of where they come from.

Unfortunately I don't think they'd be any safer in foster homes/going to school.

If the Prime Minister was traffikking children @MarshaBradyo would you support them, because really it is not a law that Prime Ministers need to follow?

@BewareTheLibrarians And my point is that “not all of them are children” means that by definition lots are children. But you’re presumably happy to see the ones who are children be put at risk?

Please stop putting words in my mouth.

You are getting tiresome.

Please stop it

Sure why answer the question when you can just go for a pathetic personal attack 😁 Speaks volumes, thanks.

If pp are suggesting that foster care and homes are the solution I’d look at safeguarding for the other children present too.

Can anyone hand on heart say they’d be ok with a trafficked male teen in their home? I don’t ask of others what I wouldn’t be willing to do as it’s just empty words

But if you are how will you stop them being picked up by the gang leader?

The easiest way to stop people putting words in your mouth would be to explain what you mean.