On Monday evening over 100 people gathered in Falmouth to express their concern and sadness at the news last week that over 200 14-17yr olds have gone missing from government accommodation. 

Robert Jenrick the minister for immigration told MPs that since 2021, 440 asylum-seeking children had gone missing and only half had returned.

Falmouth & Penryn Welcome Refugees (Welcome) arranged the vigil to help the community come together to share their 'disgust and concern' and to show the young people that they do care about them.

As people gathered on The Moor in town a number of people spoke about their fears for the wellbeing of the missing young people, and how scared they must be.

Those that spoke included, Rector Bill Stuart-White (from All Saints', Falmouth), Jo Willis (Director, Shallal) as well as Rezi Whitlock, a young person who is a care leaver, and Lilyan Isaac, an asylum seeker who now has to leave to remain in the UK. Jude Munden and Rufus Maurice of Welcome also spoke. 

Image: Falmouth & Penryn Welcome Refugees

After listening to heartfelt speeches, many candles were lit and a minute's silence was held to remember the missing children. Lots of paper cut-outs of children were strung around the Moor to represent the missing children.

Image: Falmouth & Penryn Welcome Refugees

Welcome has resettled two refugee families in the area and is preparing to welcome a third family, as well as support refugees already in Falmouth and Penryn. Welcome is part of a government-backed community sponsorship scheme that was set up to help the government reach its target promise of housing 20,000 refugee families in the UK, with local groups providing support for the families from the moment they land in the UK. The families are vetted by the Home Office, have refugee status, and are allowed to work. 

A spokesperson for Welcome said: "Community sponsorship is one of the very few safe routes for asylum seekers to enter the UK. You can't claim asylum from outside UK soil – no visas exist for asylum seekers outside the UK, leaving virtually no safe routes.  In fact, only 0.6% of asylum seekers are able to enter the UK legally.

"Much has been made of the fact that many of the small boat arrivals are Albanian, suggesting young Albanians should not be seeking asylum. There are many reasons why people flee Albania – honour killings of girls and women, the worst poverty in Europe, chronic corruption in government and public services, blood feuds, and increasingly powerful trafficking rings. Welcome is keen to make sure that our local community is better informed on this.

If you're interested in finding out more visit falmouthandpenrynwelcome.org/