The boy from Afghanistan disappeared one afternoon at the beginning of December after having lived in Norway for just over three months. Now he has been away from the child welfare care center for over a month, but the police have not looked for him. This is despite the fact that Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mehl recently stated that everyone who disappears must be looked for in the same way. The boy is the latest addition to the statistics news was able to reveal in December: 432 unaccompanied minor asylum seekers have disappeared in the last eight years and are still listed as missing. Among them, five children were ten years of age or younger, the youngest five. It shook the entire Storting, and in January the minister had to appear and answer several critical questions. The disappearances did not only occur in the wake of the refugee flow in 2016–2017. In 2022, a total of seven young asylum seekers disappeared from reception and care centers without the police looking for them, documents news has seen show. Several professionals have warned that the children may become victims of human trafficking. We have revealed this: news, in collaboration with the Center for Investigative Journalism, has been given access to a number of figures and documents. These are our overall findings: The state still does not know where 432 unaccompanied minor asylum seekers who disappeared from asylum reception centers and care centers from 2015 until autumn 2022 are staying. Five of them were ten years old or younger. The youngest five years. The police have, to a small extent, actively looked for the children and young people, even though a combined Storting in 2015 decided that asylum children should be searched for on the same lines as Norwegian children. Several of those who have disappeared are not found in the police’s systems. In several cases, missing person reports remain with the police for a long time before a case is opened. Several of the children and miscreants are portrayed as vulnerable, mentally ill, violent – but are still not easily followed. The police are doing more in cases involving Norwegian tax citizens. Not reported missing to the police news has visited the care center the 14-year-old lived at before he disappeared. A new boy has taken his place now. Asylum seekers who are 15 years old or younger live here, all boys. They have their own room, two shared bathrooms, a TV lounge, kitchen, board games and a foosball table. In the hallway, there are two large baskets next to sneakers and slippers: one with used socks, one with clean pairs. Clean socks at the care center for asylum children. Photo: Eline Johnsen Helledal / news The police confirm having received a call from the care center on the same evening that the boy disappeared. But there is no missing person case on the 14-year-old in the police registers. – This child has not been reported missing to the police, says police inspector in the South-East police district, Guro Siljan, in an email to news. She writes that the care center never sent a written missing person report to the police when the child disappeared. The police are now in dialogue with Bufetat, which has care, about whether the child should be considered permanently missing. In that case, they will follow up the case with a search warrant and further investigations, says Siljan. – It was not considered necessary to make a formal missing person report at the time, says Ingrid Pelin Berg, regional director of Bufetat, region east. Due to confidentiality, she cannot comment on the case of the 14-year-old. A timetable hangs on the fridge at the care centre. Photo: Eline Helledal / news – We are not getting any signs Linda Gårder Antonsen is a manager at one of the care centers in Eastern Norway. Nor can she comment on individual matters. – On a general basis, I can say that it may take a few weeks before we get in touch with those who disappear. Some travel to another country in Europe, often because they have a network or family there, says Gårder Antonsen. Linda Gårder Antonsen heads one of the care centers in Eastern Norway for young underage asylum seekers. Photo: Eline Johnsen Helledal – Could the procedures for disappearances be better? – We must always look at the routines, follow up the children and ensure that they receive proper care, she says. – It is difficult to put a finger on what we could have done. We very rarely get signs that residents have plans to disappear, says the manager. She explains that it is voluntary if the asylum seeker wants to stay at the care centre. – There may be circumstances in the asylum seeker’s case that cause us to prepare risk assessments, but in most cases we do not receive any advance warning, says Gårder Antonsen. Five other young boys still missing Another six young asylum seekers disappeared from Eastern Norway last year, according to police documents that news has gained access to. Only one of them has succeeded. The five boys are registered as missing in the police’s systems, but no further investigations have been carried out. The police have not been looking for them. – Very often there is little, or no, information about a possible place of residence, circle of friends or other things that make it possible to conduct a targeted investigation, says Olav Unnestad, police station chief at Indre Østfold police station. – Not infrequently there are indications that the minor may have left the country on his own initiative, says Unnestad. A foosball table stands under the stairs of the care center the boy disappeared from. Photo: Eline Johnsen Helledal Children’s Ombud: – Unsustainable – It is unsustainable that unaccompanied minor asylum seekers disappear without being looked for, says Inger Aasgaard, professional adviser at the Children’s Ombud. Subject advisor Inger Aasgaard. Photo: The Children’s Ombudsman The Children’s Ombudsman believes that it is overtime that a thorough review is carried out of how child protection, UDI and the police follow up their routines. – There is also reason to ask whether the responsible agencies have enough awareness and enough knowledge about the particularly vulnerable situation in which this group of children find themselves, says Aasgaard. The children’s ombudsman has now sent a letter to the Norwegian Police Directorate about the case. They are asking for information on how the police districts follow up the disappearance cases. The ombudsman also wants to know how the Norwegian Police Directorate will follow up its work. Hi! Did you think of anything when you read this case, or do you have other tips? Feel free to give us a shout by e-mail!Maja Mathilde Aarbakke, Ingvild Sørnes, Silje Rognsvåg, Eline Helledal JohnsenJournalistsSend us an e-mail
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14-year-old asylum seeker disappeared while in the care of child protection – was never reported missing – news Vestland
