Lone children held at UK-run detention centres in France 284 times last year

UK-run short-term holding facilities near Calais and Dunkirk detained unaccompanied minors on nearly 300 occasions last year, according to Freedom of Information documents. The minors were held at sites designed for clandestine travellers and people suspected of incorrect paperwork for no longer than 24 hours. Data indicates about 900 instances of unaccompanied minors detained over the last four years, with child detentions rising sharply from 2023 to 2024 and continuing into 2025. Refugee charities criticized the figures as shocking and raised concerns about secrecy and legal or procedural grey zones. Inspectors reported poor conditions and safeguarding failures, including cases where vulnerable children were not properly referred and were later re-trafficked after handover to French authorities.

"Lone children were held at UK-run detention centres in France on nearly 300 occasions last year, according to documents released under the Freedom of Information Act. Data obtained by the Guardian shows they are part of about 900 instances when unaccompanied minors have been detained at British short-term facilities near Calais and Dunkirk over the last four years. Refugee charities said the numbers were shocking and raised concerns about secrecy surrounding the treatment of children held in UK-run facilities in France."

"The short-term holding facilities Coquelles freight, Coquelles tourist, Calais tourist and Dunkirk are designed to hold clandestine travellers and those suspected of having incorrect paperwork for no longer than 24 hours. Despite being run by the UK government, data on who is held by the UK in France is not published as part of official immigration statistics. FoI documents show that there were 284 cases of minors held at the sites last year a 10% rise on 2024."

"Inspectors last year described poor conditions at the sites, while NGOs have said they are legal and procedural grey zones. Inspectors raised safeguarding issues at the facilities last year after the authorities failed to locate referrals for two vulnerable child detainees who were subsequently re-trafficked. In one instance, a 14-year-old girl, who had been found zipped in a holdall in a car, and a 16-year-old boy with a history of being trafficked and abused, were detained but then handed over to the French border police."

"In 2024, there were 258 child cases across the sites, a huge 197% rise from 87 cases in 2023. In 2022, there were 253 children recorded as being held at the sites. There were 7,454 detentions of adults and children at the sites in 2025, a drop from 9,736 in 2024. In 2023, there were 8,302."

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