Almost 20% of migrant children who arrived unaccompanied in the UK this year have gone missing, the BBC reports.
Ecpat UK, which campaigns to protect children from exploitation, said the figures were very worrying.
From the information provided by the BBC, 197 children from Albania have been admitted to the reception unit in Kent, undergoing care from January 1 to October 31. As of November 7, 39 had been registered as missing.
The council said it had worked closely with the Home Office and the police to protect children.
Government figures compiled by the BBC show that 44,122 people have crossed in small boats so far this year, compared with 28,461 who arrived in 2021.
