Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 23 November (HL192), of those unaccompanied children seeking asylum who are placed in hotels awaiting placement with a local authority who either have documents or do not require an age assessment, (1) how, and (2) when, their age is entered onto the operational databases referred to; when it is done so; and by whom its quality is assured.
Many of those arriving in the UK who claim to be children, often do not have clear evidence such as an original passport or identity document to back this up.
In the absence of documentary evidence, Home Office officials will treat a claimant as an adult if their physical appearance and demeanour very strongly suggests that they are significantly over 18 years of age, in-line with the Home Office’s published age assessment policy. This is carried out by two Home Office officials who independently assess whether a claimant is an adult.
The age provided through evidence or through the assessment carried out upon the person’s entry to the UK is entered into Home Office systems within 24 hours of their arrival in the UK.
A sample of data is quality assured as standard practice.