Unaccompanied minors seeking asylum ‘may end up in sex trade’

UNACCOMPANIED minors seeking asylum are living in hostels where they have to buy their own food, cook for themselves and it is very difficult to control their activities, it was claimed yesterday.

These children are not being afforded the same child protection rights as Irish children, according to Dr Pauline Conroy, the author of a report on unaccompanied minors for the International Organisation of Migration last year.

“It is widely known that these children are at risk of ending up in the sex trade or in forced labour. They are a very vulnerable group. Yet we’re hearing of several incidents where mobile phones are being used to lure children out of hostels and into questionable relationships with people from outside,” she added.