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<p>The department takes the welfare of unaccompanied migrant children extremely seriously
and we are committed to ensuring they are safe and secure. Local authorities have
a duty to provide services to all children in need in their area. Under Section 20
of the Children Act 1989, those under the age of 18 arriving as unaccompanied asylum-seekers
should enter the care of the local authority in which area they first present.</p><p>All
unaccompanied children, including those who have been arrested or trafficked, should
be safeguarded and have their welfare promoted in the same way as any other looked-after
child. Social Workers and other practitioners including police, health, education
and youth offender services practitioners, and those who care for looked-after children,
are encouraged to consider the full range of support available to looked after children
in their areas, including that from community and other organisations.</p><p>The provisions
under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 ensure that if there is uncertainty over whether
a potential victim of trafficking is a child or an adult, then that person is presumed
to be a child and receives the appropriate support without delay. If practitioners
have concerns that a child may be a potential victim of modern slavery or human trafficking,
then a referral should be made to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) as soon as
possible. Guidance on making a referral can be found in the attached document. The
NRM acts as a formal framework for first responders to identify potential victims
of trafficking and assists with the provision of victim support. Like any other child
in need, a trafficked child referred through the NRM should be safeguarded by the
local authority on which the referral is made. Where it is evident that the child
faces a significant risk of harm from the trafficker, appropriate arrangements will
need to be put in place to keep the child safe from harm, and the child’s care plan
should include such measures.</p><p>In addition, the Home Office has rolled out Independent
Child Trafficking Guardians (ICTGs) to two thirds of local authorities in England
and Wales. In June 2023, the Minister for Safeguarding agreed to extend the current
grant agreement to 31 March 2025, alongside working to deliver ICTG national rollout
covering all of England and Wales. ICTGs are an additional source of advice and support
for potentially trafficked children, and somebody who can advocate on their behalf
to ensure their best interests are reflected in the decision-making processes undertaken
by the public authorities who are involved in the child’s care. The support they provided
is in addition to the statutory support provided to children by local authorities.
Statutory guidance on roles and responsibilities of ICTGs is attached.</p>
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