Rise in adults claiming to be child migrants

THE number of would-be asylum seekers falsely claiming to be children has surged, new figures show.

In the first six months of this year, 444 people were found to be adults trying to dupe immigration officers by posing as under-18s. The number was more than four times higher than the first six months of 2020.

People coming to the UK will often claim to be under 18 as the regime for treating children is less harsh than that for adults.

The issue of fake claims first surfaced when the “Jungle” camp in Calais was torn down and dozens of migrants were allowed into the UK.

Many claimed to be children, which would have qualified them for education, care from social services and accommodation with a foster family, rather than being held in an immigration

CALL: Alp Mehmet has urged the Home Office to get to grips with an issue traffickers are now exploiting

centre. But there was widespread anger when pictures of them emerged, with claims that some looked to be in their 30s.

Analysis of the latest figures shows a majority of those who were questioned about their age were found to be lying.

In the first six months of this year there were 680 cases referred for investigation due to suspicions about the applicant’s age. In 444 of these cases the would-be asylum seeker was deemed to be 18 or over. The first six months of 2020 saw 229 claims about age, with 96 rejected, and the first half of 2019 saw 378 age claims lodged, with 155 thrown out.

The greatest number of “fake” children were from Sudan, Iran and Vietnam, and there were high numbers from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Syria and Iraq.

Alp Mehmet, chairman of Migration Watch UK, said: “Adult migrants claiming to be children has long been an issue at the border. It has been a major hole in our defences that traffickers are exploiting.

“The Home Office has long been aware of the problem and chosen to look away. It’s time it dealt with it.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We are taking a number of measures to improve the age assessment process. The New Plan for Immigration will stop abuse of the system while supporting those in genuine need.”