The ‘child migrants’ cover-up
Faces of latest arrivals from Calais hidden under blankets
MIGRANTS claiming to be children hid their faces under green blankets as they arrived in the UK to claim asylum yesterday.
They covered their heads on reaching an immigration centre in London after travelling by coach from Calais.
The refugees, who claim to be aged between 13 and 17, were then led inside by officials to start their asylum process. Their behaviour fuelled suspicions that some may be lying about their true age.
Groups of migrants have been bussed to Croydon from the notorious Jungle camp in Calais every day this week. Some appeared older than typical teenagers, including one who was rated by an online facial recognition program as having the features of a 38-year-old.
Of the 13 who arrived yesterday, five put blankets over their heads. A sixth migrant, who had a bandage on his right wrist, partially covered his face with the hood of his blue jacket.
The refugees who hid their faces with blankets were noticeably taller and their hands appeared more worn than those who walked into the immigration centre without covering up. The younger group appeared to be aged between 13 to 16, and several sported child-like grins.
Last night an immigration source said the migrants decided to hide under blankets after reading about the controversy on their phones in the Jungle. He added: ‘They think that their asylum claims might be delayed or rejected if they look too old, so they are using the blankets to hide their faces.’
Charity worker Mary Jones, 52, who has looked after children in the Jungle for 18 months, said yesterday she did not recognise any of the migrants pictured arriving in London this week.
‘It doesn’t help when people are parachuted in from elsewhere to pick who can go to the UK in some sort of lottery,’ she said. ‘If someone gave me two mini-buses I could easily pick who are the most deserving kids and who have been waiting the longest.
‘These people [the older migrants who have arrived in Britain this week] aren’t people I have ever seen in the Kids’ Cafe – the kids in here are much smaller.’
There was widespread scepticism on social media over the use of the green blankets.
Daniel Brookes wrote on Twitter: ‘I wonder why they have blankets over their heads? To hide beards maybe. If they were kids they wouldn’t be hiding, would they?’
Jimmy Bowmer said: ‘Why would they hide? The simple fact is they aren’t children, the majority are practically grown men.’ Another user wrote: ‘Those blankets have doubtless
been supplied by Home Office with instructions to cover.’ Officials put up tall screens so the migrants could leave the immigration centre yesterday without being seen by the public or journalists.
Last night a spokesman said the Home Office gave the migrants blankets at the start of their coach journey ‘for their comfort’, adding that they put them over their heads ‘to protect their privacy’. Officials insist the migrants have undergone rigorous interviews and document checks to establish they are aged under 18, adding that the children may appear older ‘because war has toughened them up’.
But it has emerged that this is sim- ply a screening process where they are verified as a child based on their ‘physical appearance’ and ‘demeanour’, with social workers signing off an ‘age assessment’. Routine medical tests, such as checking dental records, have not been carried out because it could be ‘intrusive’.