The report, Claiming Asylum at a Screening Unit as an Unaccompanied Child, calls for changes to the process.
The Croydon Asylum Screening Unit (ASU), where young asylum seekers log claims, does not treat these children first and foremost as vulnerable and fails to address their basic needs, the children's commissioner, Sir Al Aynsley-Green, said in the report.
Aynsley-Green witnessed the screening process of unaccompanied children at Croydon ASU first-hand. As a result, he wants the process changed to ensure children are legally represented and have their basic accommodation, food and cleanliness needs met before undergoing long interviews with immigration officers. He would also like to see a responsible person accompanying the child during interviews.
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