Home Office written question – answered at on 6 June 2019.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the age of child asylum seekers is assessed accurately.
Age assessment is a highly complex and challenging area of work. There is no single method or combination of methods which can accurately predict age.
Where clear and credible documentary evidence of age is not available, criteria including physical appearance and demeanour are used as part of the process to assess whether a person is under 18. When there is doubt about an individual’s claim to be a child, Home Office policy is to refer them to the relevant local authority to carry out a careful “Merton” compliant age assessment. A “Merton compliant” age assessment must be carried out by two social workers and should adhere to guidelines set out by the Courts.
The Home Office keeps its policies and processes under review and we remain committed to striking the right balance between ensuring that children who claim asylum are appropriately supported and maintaining the integrity of the asylum system by preventing adults being treated as children.
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