Young asylum seekers far more likely to be assessed as adults by immigration officers than by social workers
Summary
Young people seeking asylum in the UK are much more likely to be judged as adults by immigration officers than by social workers, according to new government data. This difference in assessments has raised concerns because many children may be wrongly treated like adults, which can lead to serious problems including detention and removal from the country.Key Facts
- Between July 2025 and March 2026, immigration officers found only 32% of young asylum seekers to be children, while social workers found 68% to be children.
- Immigration officers make quick age assessments, often with limited information, whereas social workers take six to eight weeks to assess.
- The Home Office has a team of in-house social workers to handle disputed age cases and plans to give more weight to their findings.
- Many asylum-seeking children lack passports or birth certificates, making age verification difficult.
- Border officials often decide age based on how a person looks, leading to errors.
- Some children wrongly identified as adults have been detained with adults or removed to France under a return scheme.
- Human rights groups criticize the Home Office for harming vulnerable children and call for better safeguards.
- At least 141 age-disputed young people have been detained under the “one in, one out” scheme, with many later found to be children.
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