These are not mere statistics; they are children who have fled from situations most of us cannot begin to imagine, only to find themselves caught in a bewildering and often hostile asylum system upon arriving in the UK.
The prevailing narrative, suggesting that some asylum seekers are adults pretending to be children, is not only misleading but harmful. Our experiences paint a very different picture – one where young people are often misjudged as adults upon their arrival or subjected to humiliating age assessment processes. The repercussions of these practices on their safety and mental health are profound and distressing.
New legislation that allows the use of invasive scientific techniques such as scans and X-rays to determine a child’s age, will make this issue worse. The Illegal Migration Act introduced a troubling clause which corners a child into consenting to these degrading procedures, under the threat of being treated as an adult if they refuse.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
