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Insight and Life

UK failing child refugees because we can’t reliably verify age

Two-thirds of child refugees whose age is disputed turn out to be adults, according to the UK government – but there's no definitive way to determine age

By Jessica Hamzelou

18 April 2018

refugees

Syrian refugees in Europe may not have documents to prove their age

Robert Atanasovski/AFP/Getty

IN OCTOBER 2016, a row broke out over the age of asylum seekers entering the UK from France, with politicians and media commentators questioning why people admitted to the country as children seemed to look much older. Last week, press reports appeared to confirm those doubts: “Hundreds posing as child refugees shown to be adults,” ran one headline.

Such certainty might lead you to believe it is possible to work out precisely how old a person is – or …

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