By Milton Tella – Families of British people missing abroad will receive improved support under a new partnership between the UK Government and the charity Missing People.
Under the agreement, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) consular teams will directly refer consenting families they are supporting to Missing People for tailored help.
That will include support from trained family support teams, plus a range of family-centred services and events designed to help manage the emotional impact of a loved one going missing.
The partnership aims to ensure more families can access vital support more easily, when they need it most.
The FCDO deals with hundreds of cases each year of people going missing overseas, helping families contact local authorities, arrange meetings, and stay informed of developments.
Missing People works directly with families and friends, supporting around 10,000 affected people each year, and already partners with several departments across national and devolved governments.
FCDO Minister for Consular, Stephen Doughty MP, said: Not knowing where a loved one is, or what has happened to them, is a truly awful experience for any family – and when they have gone missing in a distant part of the world, accessing support can be even harder.
We are committed to strengthening our support for British people with a modern consular service. Our new partnership with Missing People will help provide enhanced support to families and friends in some of their most difficult moments.
Sophie Lapham, Director of Services at Missing People, said: When someone goes missing abroad, families can find themselves facing enormous uncertainty and distress. They are forced to navigate unfamiliar systems and language barriers, often from thousands of miles away.
For more than 30 years, Missing People has been supporting missing people and their families. This partnership will strengthen our ability to work alongside the FCDO, offering hope, guidance and a trusted source of support for as long as they need.
The partnership forms part of wider work to strengthen consular services to ensure British nationals get support when they need it most.
