After workers raised doubts – ten of 19 migrant “kids” reassessed in 2025 have been reclassified as grown-ups.
Half of migrants accepted into Kent County Council’s care as kids have been discovered to be adults (Picture: Getty)
Half of unaccompanied migrants claiming to be kids who have been retested by a frontline native authority have been discovered to be adults, figures obtained beneath Freedom of Info legal guidelines present, The Solar reported.
The FOI knowledge pertains to 19 migrants who had been accepted into Kent County Council’s care as under-18s however have been put by means of recent assessments in 2025 after frontline staff expressed doubts about whether or not they have been genuinely minors.
Of these, ten have been reclassified as adults. All had been on account of be positioned in foster care or kids’s properties.
What number of youngster migrants does Kent County Council take care of?
Because the council protecting the stretch of shoreline the place most small boat crossings make landfall, Kent has a statutory obligation to absorb and take care of any unaccompanied minors who arrive with out authorized authorisation. The council had 2,656 youngster migrants positioned in its care in 2025.
Get the day’s greatest headlines in UK and World information and extra Subscribe Invalid electronic mail
We use your sign-up to supply content material in methods you have consented to and to enhance our understanding of you. This will likely embody adverts from us and third events based mostly on our understanding. You may unsubscribe at any time. Learn our Privateness Coverage
What did Chris Philp say about youngster migrants being adults?
Shadow house secretary Chris Philp mentioned the findings uncovered a severe safeguarding danger. “It’s fully improper,” he mentioned. “This places kids already in foster or kids’s properties in peril.”
He added: “We have now seen absurd instances the place unlawful immigrants, together with the place a Sudanese man with a receding hairline and facial hair, fake to be kids when clearly adults.”
Philp additionally warned the state of affairs was more likely to deteriorate following the passage of Labour’s Borders Act, which he mentioned “not permits unlawful immigrants to be handled as over-18 in the event that they refuse to take an age evaluation check.”
BBC investigation finds migrants submitting false abuse claims
What did the House Workplace say about youngster migrant age checks?
The House Workplace mentioned:
“The security and wellbeing of youngsters in care is paramount. We have now strong processes to confirm and assess a person’s age.
“We’ll proceed to modernise and strengthen that course of in coming months by testing Facial Age Estimation know-how.”
Leave a Reply