No fewer than 200 asylum-seeking children have been reported missing from their temporary accommodation, the UK government admitted on Tuesday.

The country’s immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, revealed that 88 per cent of the 200 missing minors were Albanians and that 13 of them were under the age of 16 and included a girl. 

“The movements of under-18s in and out of hotels are monitored and reported and they’re accompanied by social workers when attending organised activities,” Mr Jenrick told the parliament on Tuesday.

“We have no power to detain unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in these settings,” he explained.

Caroline Lucas of the Green Party described the situation as “horrific.” She said the Home Office should be trusted to provide “basic” protection for the children who came to seek refuge in the UK.

The issue of immigration has generated discussion as some individuals criticise the Rishi Sunak administration for failing to defend the UK against immigrants who arrive in small boats. Another group of citizens accuse the administration of not doing enough to safeguard the asylum-seeking immigrants.