Fears grow over police collecting data from lone child refugees in UK

Welfare groups claim information could be used by Home Office to deport asylum seekers

Police have been collecting the sensitive data of unaccompanied child asylum seekers and sharing it with immigration enforcement, sparking fears it could be used against them for their deportation.

As part of a government operation to prevent unaccompanied migrant children being trafficked from Home Office hotels, police officers meet them for what is described as a “welfare conversation” to create “a relationship of trust”.