A surge in disputed age claims has seen the number of asylum seekers pretending to be children soar from 224 to over 1,000 in a decade.
An increasing number of asylum seekers are pretending to be children (Image: Getty)
The number of asylum seekers found to have falsely claimed to be under 18 has quadrupled over the past decade, according to new figures. Home Office data shows that 224 people were ruled to be adults in 2014 despite claiming to be minors, a number that has now risen to more than 1,000 amid a surge in disputed age cases.
The increase comes as officials warn that many arrivals reportedly destroy their identification documents before reaching Britain, hoping that being treated as children will boost their chances of staying. Those recognised as minors cannot be deported and are entitled to the same healthcare, education, housing and financial support as British children, with local councils rather than the
The number has risen to more than 1000 (Image: Getty)
The Home Office is responsible for their accommodation, often in foster placements or independent living environments.
The countries with the highest numbers of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in 2024 were Sudan, Afghanistan, Iran, Vietnam and Syria.
Alp Mehmet of Migration Watch UK told the Daily Mail that adults posing as minors present “serious risks to children’s safety” when placed alongside genuine teenagers. He criticised the limited use of scientific age-assessment methods, saying decisions are frequently left to social workers who “routinely give claimants the benefit of the doubt.”
He also argued that the Government missed an opportunity to strengthen age-verification laws under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025.
Public concern has intensified following the recent conviction of two Afghan 17-year-olds for raping a 15-year-old girl in Leamington Spa, only months after they arrived in Britain by small boat.
Disturbing footage recorded by the victim showed her crying and begging for help before the assault. Jan Jahanzeb received a sentence of ten years and eight months, while Israr Niazal was jailed for nine years and ten months.
Robert Bates of the Centre for Migration Control told the Mail it is “far too easy” for migrants to misrepresent their ages in hopes of improving their asylum prospects.
He argued that the UK is unusual in Europe for not routinely using scientific assessments, saying this leaves the public, and especially young people, at risk when unverified males are placed in schools and foster homes.
Bates claimed that many supposed child applicants “are actually in their late teens” and said the incentives for deception are clear.
Lawangeen Abdulrahimzai, who arrived in the UK claiming to be 14, was actually 19.
Despite having shot two men dead in Serbia before reaching Britain, he was enrolled in a secondary school in Bournemouth and placed in foster care. He later murdered 21-year-old Tom Roberts in 2022 after several incidents involving knives and violence.
As the number of disputed age claims continues to rise, the reliability of the UK’s assessment procedures remains at the centre of debate, with calls for clearer standards and stronger safeguards for both the public and genuine child refugees.
