UK has detained 76 ‘age-disputed’ children under one in, one out scheme | Immigration and asylum
Investigations show that more than 70 children from various conflict zones, whose ages are disputed by the Home Office, are being held in detention centers in the UK in preparation for forcible removal to France under the government’s “one in, one out” scheme.
The one-in, one-out initiative means that any small boat can be forcibly returned to France in exchange for another person who has not attempted to cross being brought legally to the UK.
However, it is against the law to detain unaccompanied child asylum seekers in adult detention centres. Data collected by the Human Rights Network since removals under the program began last September found that 76 so-called age-disputed children had been detained.
Maddie Harris of the Human Rights Network said: “Many of these children are survivors of torture and trafficking and have suffered serious declines in mental health as a result of detention in the UK, which often lasts for months.
“These children are also prejudiced against access to adequate local authority age assessments carried out by social workers, as well as the care and support they are entitled to as children. No child should be detained, and those who remain in custody should be released immediately to allow them to recover and, where necessary, to enable them to access age assessments carried out in the community.”
Age assessments of young refugees are a controversial area. Freedom of information requests to local authority children’s services revealed that many children initially assessed as adults by the Home Office on arrival in the UK were later determined to be children following an age assessment by social workers. A child who was taken to France as an adult under the “one in, one out” practice was later determined to be a child by social workers.
26 of the 76 have now been released and are in the care of children’s social services where they are being assessed or are currently considered children. Another 11 people were left in adult accommodation pending age assessments, and another 13 were sent to France. The nationalities of this group cover a number of conflict zones, including large numbers of Eritreans, Sudanese and Afghans.
It is understood the “one in, one out” initiative has forcibly returned more than 400 people who arrived in the UK on small boats. In contrast, a similar number of asylum seekers who did not attempt to cross the English Channel in small boats were brought to the UK legally. Independent chief inspector of borders and immigration search for evidence For an investigation into the repatriation program.
As recently as March 25, the sending of two children of disputed ages to France within the scope of this program was stopped following the Supreme Court decision.
Elizabeth Cole, attorney for Duncan Lewis, who represents one of the children whose age is disputed, welcomed the reversal of the suspension.
“The Home Office’s assertion that a child’s age does not need to be determined before children are deported is extremely concerning and clearly requires consideration by the court,” he said. “This is particularly the case as children are an extremely vulnerable group. We hope that this decision will encourage the Home Office to think twice before attempting to send conflict children to France, in order to alleviate the distress and harm that will inevitably occur as a result.”
Some of the asylum seekers who were taken by plane the day after the hearing claim that they were injured as a result of the use of force by the guards during the deportation. They claim the injuries included loose front teeth, scratched arms, swollen hands and a foot injury that required wearing a surgical boot.
Home Office sources said that where people refuse to comply or physically resist, they may unfortunately have to use reasonable and proportionate force to ensure safety and must leave the UK or comply with reasonable instructions while in custody.
A Home Office spokesman said: “This government is cracking down on small boat crossings. Since the election we have stopped more than 42,000 illegal immigrants trying to cross the channel. We have removed or deported around 60,000 people who were here illegally.”
“But by eliminating the incentives that attract illegal immigrants to this country, we will increase the deportations and deportations of those who have no right to be here.”
