June 22, 2008
Scout events used for illegal immigration
Jon Ungoed-Thomas

International Scout and Girl Guide jamborees are being exploited for illegal immigration.

Six Scouts are still missing after attending the 21st World Scout Jamboree near Chelmsford, Essex, last summer. They are believed to have remained in the country illegally.

Five Kenyan Girl Guides also vanished after attending an international jamboree in Ireland last July. There are even concerns they may subsequently have been trafficked into the UK.

While immigration officers are trained to spot children who may plan to stay in the country illegally or who are being exploited by traffickers, the potential abuse of the respectability afforded by the Scout and Guide uniforms presents a new challenge.

One of those missing from last summer’s events is Ossai Elvis, a 16-year-old Nigerian. He is pictured in his Scout uniform on Britain’s official police website for missing children.

The Scout and Girl Guide movements are keen to emphasise that only a very small number of children have disappeared of the many thousands who attend events. Linda Peters, chief executive of the Irish Girl Guides, said: “We would be extremely concerned if we were being used as a conduit for child trafficking.

“We are now in the summer season and parents are saying, ‘Is it safe to send our children to camp?’ We have to stress security is very tight.â€