To think only 3 of the 15 migrant children look under 18

[AmyMiller]

www.google.co.uk/amp/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3843900/amp/First-migrant-children-arrive-UK-Calais-French-prepare-raze-Jungle-camp-ground.html?client=safari

This is so ridiculous, many of them look around 25.

From what I've read in the past there are no unaccompanied children in Calais under 10 - the ones you see in the photos of the jungle are with their families...
A lot of the reporting in the past has been highly misleading.

He was examined last year by experts who looked at his skin condition, muscle tone, language skills, voice and even whether he has an Adam’s apple. If their findings are followed he would now be 18

This is from a Kent court case of a gang rape involving 'underage' refugees. Ineondervif it's still applied .

I am suggesting picture evidence may not be as reliable as checks by Home Office personnel.

I also have some experience myself of working with refugees.

I may be wrong but I suspect many people on this thread are discussing the issue based entirely on the pictures. Lots of pictures or just one picture.

The vast majority of posters with actual as opposed to virtual experience seem to be more sympathetic to the plight of the refugees.

And your actual experience brummiesue?? Not just pictures I assume.

I wonder if **

Family is quite a loose term. How close a tie is considered?

You did a stint in Calais. Oh WOW! That makes you such an expert on all that is to do with migration, immigration, illegal immigrants and refugees.
No need for the sarcastic nastiness

Unless they do a DNA test, you cannot guarantee with any certainty that these people have any relatives, let alone close ones, in the UK.

BabyGanoush if you read my previous post you will see that all refugees who claim asylum in this country and say they are under the age of 17 and a half are given age tests.
I cannot divulge details of these tests but suffice to say they are conducted rigorously by dentists, doctors and experienced social workers.
Many are rejected and can then choose to be deported or go through the asylum process as adults.
I know this for an absolute fact.
I wonder what you would like to happen to all the unaccompanied children in Calais, some as young as four.
And again yes that is a fact. People I trust implicitly have seen them and spoken to them.
That's of course not taking account all those who have 'disappeared'.
Can you not understand that parents must be in the most terrible situation to subject their children to this.
Well don't worry as if we drag our feet long enough they will all soon 'disappear'.

Angryyoungwoman, but how is that relevant to our refugee policy?

Our refugee policy should be based on people who are refugees.

Interestingly, in all the pupils I ever taught (and this is across Europe and the Middle East) who were noticeable for looking a lot older than their actual age were the children of German parents.

Ten to one, if I had a pupil in one of my classes that looked over 18, either his mother or father would be German.

Hilarious that anyone believes they are teen boys. I have a house full of 15/16 year old son most weekends and I'd absolutely notice one of these "children" among them. I imagine the government has handpicked them so the next time child asylum seekers are mentioned the majority of the population will have absolutely no sympathy. Sneaky heh?

misogynistic cultures. Because the UK is bang on the money with preventing predatory white males from targeting women, isn't it? Did you read the thread about sexual assault?

Clam - the point is that we are lucky to be living here. Who are you to decide this land belongs to you? Why are you (and I) more deserving ... we are hardly suffering in this country. The masses and masses of wealth and space taken up by the small minority is criminal

This comment wasn't aimed at me but I absolutely agree we were all born here by chance and no amount of working/paying tax etc means we 'deserve' it. However unless we actually have an audit of all 60 million residents of who should stay and who should go (ridiculous concept) the situation is what it is, and there is a manner of controlling and policing it and it isn't racist or lacking in compassion to challenge how this is done when grown men are able to pose as children to get through the system

Why can't you divulge the nature of these tests smiling?

There are millions of people in the world just wanting to live in their own countries, but without the risk of being killed. Why do so many people think that the UK is the ultimate destination for people? It's just safe. That's all. If my country wasn't safe, I'd want to get out too. It's about survival, not a rejection of your country and home.

They've passed through many safe countries before arriving in the Uk

Italy
Greece
France

All safe countries.

I'm amazed that people feel they can make an accurate assessment of age based on a couple of photos. Especially when the young people in question are from countries where they may have been doing heavy manual labour since they were 11 or 12.

These young people have been brought from Calais to join family members who are already here so they will not require foster care. The UK is also providing protection for vulnerable families, including women and children from refugee camps and bordering countries in a separate scheme. These young people are not 'taking the place' of women and children.

'it's actually quite scary that these men will be around our vulnerable Young girls'
Why what do you think is going to happen? You are scaremongering.

Have you been living under a rock for the last few months/years? There are dozens and dozens of reports (apart from the Guardian neglecting to report on Cologne at New Year) of sexual assaults in public places.

I am suggesting picture evidence may not be as reliable as checks by Home Office personnel

Do you know what the exact age checks are bit?

Oh ffs, you have no idea what you're talking about itshouldhavebeen if you're comparing the plight of women in Afghanistan to the UK. It's insulting.

Our refugee policy should be based on people who are refugees.
Because what is equally important is foreign policy which is aligned with policies regarding refugees. It's no use bombing the shit out of countries and then persecuting the refugees that result from it.

It's not reaching for the stars to suggest men may be predatory
In all countries and cultures, some men are predatory, some aren't. What is your point?

Actually, I have teen and older boys, and yes, I do think most of those pictured are around 16-17. Lots of the boys in uniform ( so year 11 or under) round here have beards/taches/stubble, and the lads pictured look pretty similar. Maybe they can't prove their ages exactly, even if they are 18 or 19 they are still young and vulnerable. I'd hate to think of my 21 year old in a refugee camp, having walked thousands of miles, being refused permission to join his older brother.
I'd also like to mention how old the children fleeing Kosovo looked - there were a few at my son's school back in the 90's who had the faces of old men but were only 7 or 8; they had lines and wrinkles. I suspect that's what living in and then escaping from a war zone does to you.
We should be showing compassion, not scaremongering.

Brim - pp's with experience of working with teenagers from those regions have explained why that's not likely to be the case.

I'm still waiting for details of the tests and checks that are done. Surely it's not a secret? To deter the people traffickers and false applications if nothing else.

Talking about these children coming into be with their families so not needing foster care etc. Where are the unaccompanied children who donned foster care? When are they going to be coming for help?

I'm astounded at the references to sexual assault on here. Because no White British man has ever committed such a crime? Are you serious?!

These are people, like you and I, with hopes and dreams, families, children - we are the same and we want the same things. A better life. A happy life. A safe life. And yet some posters are referring to them as some sort of 'pests' that need to be controlled. Fucking disgusting, quite frankly.

Where there is uncertainty about a UASC's true age, tests can be conducted. Similarly, DNA testing can be conducted to confirm family links as claimed.

Whether they are in all cases is a different matter, of course.