h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4541603.stm

"Scotland Yard asked London education authorities how many black boys aged four to seven had vanished from school.
Between July and September 2001, 300 children had disappeared and police fear thousands may go missing annually. "

Not that they are saying that all of them will have come to an untoward end, with many said to have returned to africa, but it is a bit worrying that 300 kids can be lost in 3 months.
Or maybe not. I guess 300 kids in London is an incredibly small percentage, and with an internationally mobile population I guess there will be a large number of kids moving around, and not necessarily showing up on official records.

That does sound alarming. I suppose schools aren't always able to contact the child's family to find out why they aren't at school. Presumably these are children who haven't been reported as missing either.

Horrifying...

There was a programme not long ago about kids turning up, being collected by 'uncles' and then disappearing. Investigation showed that 30+ had arrived in a month - all with the same destination address.

It was thought this was a child slavery ring - parents think they're sending the kids to a better life, in reality they become house slaves.

There was a girl found in Coventry recently who had been brought from Leicester by her owner, who was selling her to a man in Coventry. The girl had been used as a house slave and nanny, sold on and used in prostitution, which was what she was being sold on for this time. Police were watching the buyer in relation to another crime, and were surprised by what they got. The girl did not exsist in this country, and was totally unaware that her position was illegal. That if she'd gone to the police she would have got help, she thought she would have been beaten and sent back to her owner.

Anyway, what was highlighted was the number of children arriving in the country who subsequently disappear.

It really is very disturbing, McKay. The other day I read this horrific article about a young refugee girl from Angola:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/child/story/0,7369,1480378,00.html

One wonders why children arriving in any country are not under more scrutiny from the government, if only to make sure they are receiving proper care and education after they arrive. Am I wrong in assuming that native resident children are always 'present and accounted for'? If so, why the double standard?


az

From what the news reports are saying, a lot of the problem seems to be with the lack of tracking of private fostering. Fostering kids with someone else in the extended family seems to be a common practice in some African societies. I don't see anything wrong with that in itself--I know it was a traditional practice in old Gaelic society and seemed to work out fine. Unfortunately, it's wide open to abuse. I think if a child is being collected at Heathrow or brought there by an 'uncle' or 'cousin' then there should be an official record of who is now responsible for the child, and these private fosterers should be checked on a regular basis.

Azara

I hope something is done to keep better track of the children.

well, we have a new minister for children now, so see what they get up to. There are considerations. For example, on the radio this morning they were talking about the inter-country adoption ban on Cambodia. Due, apparently, to some discrepancies and problems found with US adoption of Cambodian children. Difference being, US implemented much tougher legislation. The UK just banned it.
Woman on radio this morning was saying that 5% of Cambodias population is orphaned children.
It's a difficult line to draw, it must be said.