This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/oct/23/refugee-age-rows-having-devastating-impact-on-children

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Refugee age rows having 'devastating' impact on children Refugee age rows having 'devastating impact' on children
(about 11 hours later)
Age disputes are having a “devastating impact” on unaccompanied and separated refugee or asylum seeker children arriving in the UK, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has warned. Age disputes are having a “devastating impact” on unaccompanied and separated refugee or asylum seeker children arriving in the UK, the UN refugee agency has warned.
Evidence from an assessment conducted by the UNHCR found disputes over a refugee or asylum seeker’s age impeded and delayed access to services and environments that can assist integration.Evidence from an assessment conducted by the UNHCR found disputes over a refugee or asylum seeker’s age impeded and delayed access to services and environments that can assist integration.
Children whose ages are in dispute are liable to be placed in inappropriate accommodation together with adults, posing a risk to their safety, the report said, and are likely to be denied access to education.
'Authorities say my 15-year-old client is 27 and want to deport him': my job as a legal aid lawyer'Authorities say my 15-year-old client is 27 and want to deport him': my job as a legal aid lawyer
Children whose age is in dispute are liable to be placed in inappropriate accommodation together with adults, presenting a risk to their safety, the report said, and they are likely to be denied access to education. The mental and physical health of such children may deteriorate, they are at increased risk of absconding or being trafficked, and of being detained as an adult in an immigration removal centre, the report said.
The mental and physical health of such children may deteriorate, they are at increased risk of absconding or being trafficked and of being detained as an adult in an immigration removal centre, the report said. “For many children, these initial mistakes take at least months, and often years, to correct,” the report said.
“For many children these initial mistakes take at least months, and often years, to correct,” the report said. “In the meantime, children are exposed to harmful and protracted disputes, not only denied the support to which they are legally entitled, but also forced to challenge the very people charged to look after them.”
“In the meantime, children are exposed to harmful and protracted disputes: not only denied the support to which they are legally entitled, but also forced to challenge the very people charged to look after them.”
The assessment identified numerous cases where asylum seekers, initially judged to be adults, were later determined to be children as young as 15.The assessment identified numerous cases where asylum seekers, initially judged to be adults, were later determined to be children as young as 15.
International best practice specifies that age assessment procedures should only be undertaken as a measure of last resort, when there are grounds for serious doubt about the person’s age and once informed consent has been obtained. Prior to the assessment, all age-disputed individuals should be given the benefit of the doubt and treated as a child unless this would be clearly unreasonable.International best practice specifies that age assessment procedures should only be undertaken as a measure of last resort, when there are grounds for serious doubt about the person’s age and once informed consent has been obtained. Prior to the assessment, all age-disputed individuals should be given the benefit of the doubt and treated as a child unless this would be clearly unreasonable.
But the UNHCR report says significant changes in UK policy and practice are required to bring age assessment processes in line with these principles. But the UNHCR report said significant changes in UK policy and practice were required to bring age-assessment processes in line with these principles.
The report was one of three commissioned by the European commission and published by the UNHCR on Wednesday, which make the case for taking steps to ensure unaccompanied or separated child refugees and asylum seekers arriving in the UK can more quickly recover from trauma. The report was one of three commissioned by the European commission and published by the UNHCR on Wednesday. They make the case for taking steps to ensure unaccompanied or separated child refugees and asylum seekers arriving in the UK can more quickly recover from trauma.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The UK has a proud history of providing protection to those who need it. We take our responsibilities towards unaccompanied children extremely seriously and, in the past 12 months, we gave protection to more than 7,000 children.
“Our approach to age-disputed cases strikes the sensitive balance between ensuring that children who claim asylum are supported while maintaining the integrity of the asylum system.
“When there is doubt about whether someone is an adult or a child, they will be referred to a local authority’s social services department for a careful, case law-compliant age assessment and they will be treated as a child until a decision on their age is made.”
Immigration and asylumImmigration and asylum
RefugeesRefugees
Children Migration
Home OfficeHome Office
Children
newsnews
Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
Share via EmailShare via Email
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn
Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
Share on WhatsAppShare on WhatsApp
Share on MessengerShare on Messenger
Reuse this contentReuse this content