Two-thirds of the children ‘may be adults’

AROUND two-thirds of the ‘child’ refugees allowed into Britain may turn out to be adults after undergoing age tests, a council chief has warned.

More than 750 young refugees have been brought to the UK from the former Calais Jungle camp under the Government’s transfer scheme.

But David Simmonds, the spokesman for the local councils caring for them, claimed traffickers have taken advantage of the provision by forcing some of the arrivals to lie about their ages.

Home Office guidance states that asylum seekers should only be challenged about their age if they appear to be ‘significantly over 18 years of age’.

But some refugees arriving in the UK in October appeared to be older than typical teenagers, despite claiming to be aged between 13 and 17.

Mr Simmonds said age assessments were now underway, and he expected about two-thirds of those tested would be found to be adults.

Officials have insisted that those arriving from Calais have undergone rigorous interviews and document checks to establish they are under 18.

But it has emerged this is simply 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’.