1 in 4 ‘child migrants lie about their age’

‘Imprecise and arbitrary’

A QUARTER of migrants claiming asylum in Britain as child refugees were found to be adults, according to official figures.

Kent County Council said 1,668 potential asylum seekers who had landed on its shores after travelling in small boats from France over the past five years had presented themselves as under 18. But following assessments by social workers more than 400 of them were deemed to be adults.

It is believed that some asylum applicants from wartorn countries such as Sudan and Iraq believe they are more likely to be allowed to remain in the UK if they claim to be children.

Kent Council has said its social services can no longer give adequate care to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children due to a surge in arrivals.

The authority announced its social services unit was at full capacity on August 14. It is caring for 602 under-18s, with under-16s placed in foster care.

A further 602 asylum seekers aged between 18 and 25 are also under the council’s care, while 111 under-18s have been sent to other local authorities since the start of June.

Charities, however, have questioned the age assessments, which are based on appearance, documentary evidence and interviews, without any medical checks.

Kent Refugee Action Network told the Sunday Telegraph: ‘Age assessments are imprecise, subjective and arbitrary.

‘The problem is not people pretending to be younger, it’s age assessments that often put them as older than they are, leading to children in foster care being moved to adult accommodation.’

More than 5,000 asylum seekers have entered the UK on small boats this year.