New immigration laws will have a “ massively detrimental ” impact on exploited children, who will be at greater risk of being unidentified, unprotected and penalised, charities have warned. The Government has been urged not to let an “ adult-focused agenda to take priority over children’s rights ”, with the Nationality and Borders Bill set to be debated in the Commons on Wednesday. Nine child protection and anti-trafficking groups say a lack of long-term solutions for children who are trafficked

She called for “ urgent action ” to ensure vulnerable children were kept safe. The Home Office began placing unaccompanied child asylum seekers in unregulated hotels on 20 July last year after Kent County Council refused to take more in, saying it was at “ breaking point ”.... Three have since been found. Bella Sankey, director of Detention Action, said: “ After surviving unimaginable dangers to journey here, these children should finally have felt safe and protected.... We also heard about ha

The Home Office must rethink its “ regressive and unethical ” plans to use scientific methods such X-rays to age assess asylum seekers, a coalition of children’s charities has warned. Measures introduced as part of the Nationality and Borders Bill last week, and due to be debated on Tuesday, would allow the government to use “ scientifically verifiable ” methods to check the age of child refugees. This could include X-raying children’s teeth and “ examining or measuring parts of a person’s body