§ Tom BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unaccompanied children arrived in the United Kingdom, broken down by(a) port of entry to the United Kingdom and (b) originating country in each of the last three years. [175952]
§ Mr. BrowneInformation on the number of unaccompanied minors who have arrived in the United Kingdom, broken down by port of entry and originating country is not currently collected.
However the results of Operation Paladin Child on unaccompanied children arriving at Heathrow Airport were announced on 17 May. This operation ran between August 2003—November 2003 and was initiated by the Metropolitan Police Child Protection Command, with the co-operation of the Immigration Service, NSPCC and Hillingdon Social Services.
In total 1,738 unaccompanied minors were granted leave to enter in the three-month study of whom 30 per cent. were risk assessed and referred to Social Services. The operation was a valuable exercise in determining the nature of child migration to the UK and has not uncovered evidence of child trafficking at Heathrow. The full details of the operation, and possible changes to procedures and policy in the light of it, are still being assessed.