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.

I've had another look. None of the teens pictured would have looked out of place in the 6th form I worked in a while back.

Which ones specifically do you think are 25?

Are you sure you're not confusing the picture of the security guy in black who's framed in the centre of the picture?

Anyway, for those of you who want to help women and children affected by the crisis in Syria, Don't Hate Donate are still collecting reusable nappies for distribution in refugee camps

Now I am really confused. Haven't we just been told persistently through this thread that there are minimal women and children in the camps? Hence the first 'children' settling in the UK are male? If this is not the case, I will ask again; why aren't women and children being given priority?

Aforest- yes quite, I can only think the majority of the posters on this thread have limited experience of 6th formers.

I have problems with the level of cognitive dissonance on threads like this.

Late teens from another culture who aren't white are judged to be old, with the assumption that they are not in need of the assistance that is being offered to them, irrespective of their personal experiences and histories. '18' here becomes a magic number, after which all of said teens should be totally independent.

Meanwhile, on other Mumsnet threads, parents are up in arms because universities are not allowing them to helicopter around their precious 21-year olds, who (in spite of experiencing the utmost privilege at a global scale) are still deemed to be children in need of care and protection.

WTAF.

Part of the problem is there are people who have lost faith in governments and media. They read home office stringent tests and interpret tests that do not infringe human rights and 100% accurate, so no genuine testing really. Verified by a social worker equates putting SW in a position where they feel through emotional or pressure of making the wrong decision to give the benefit of doubt. I can see that these could be teenagers but can equally imagine they could be adults with little trust in the system on verification.

I actually am aghast at this thread.

Are teenagers not still children? The underlying message seems to be that these children are not worthy because they don't 'fit' the mould of 'sweet cute young kids that look pretty on the front of the paper and make us all feel good about ourselves' - essentially the equivalent of rescue kittens.

Honestly... Giving the media pressure and the reluctance of our government to help - and I can feel pretty reassured that they have done every check they possibly can - They would be looking for any excuse to refuse these children access to our 'green and pleasant land.'

I'm really sorry but they didn't look like teens to me either, and I wanted them to, IYSWIM?

That was a personal affermation
Yes, as I said, your sources don't confirm that. It's your opinion.
And the video you posted is one video. Not a valid evidence source to back up your generalisations.

I agree with your op, I read recently that adult migrants posed as children, especially the men. Yes where are all the girl children then! Seems to be only 'teenage boys' hmmm

I didn't say, or mean to imply, anything about 'worthiness' or otherwise.

I was simply answering the question as posed.

FWIW I live on the Continent, not in the UK, and have done a little (it's never enough) to try to help the many refugees we now have in our city, most of whom are young men from around 18 to 28.

I find the assumptions about the race and beliefs of the average MNer quite offensive if I'm honest. Life isn't black and white. You can think that some of the people pictured look well over 18 without begrudging them the hope of a peaceful and prosperous future.

There's an awful lot of contradiction and misunderstandings here

The fact that there are very few women and children due to the risk of rape etc - yet we are racists of we think the very men they aren't being sent to join because of said risk of rape somehow shouldn't be amongst kids.

The fact that they have limited access to proper food and shelter and have had horrific lives and that ages people. Yes it does. Facially. However said restricted access would surely delay puberty and growth would it not?

The same horrific life with little food etc still somehow provides them with enough cigarettes to age them several years also?

FYI I would feel the same of it was reversed. If kids who were blatantly kids were claiming to be much older and being treated accordingly and the risk that would impose on them amongst us

Aged 1 or aged 100 I would want them all to receive help and looking after and questioning age does not detract from that.

My 5'11" 13yo dd gets asked what she does for a living and does she have children

And as an aside, when I see the pictures of how happy the families are to see them, I don't really care if they're a bit older. They are still someone's son.

I think some are wilfully misunderstanding.

In my years teaching I have occasionally, maybe two or three in every cohort, encountered a particularly mature looking kid.

But the chances of them all arriving from Calais is pretty slim.

I would think 'oh, it's the Mail' but if the Guardian have also posted, then it isn't looking great.

My 16 yr old boy is the spitting image of a couple of them.

It makes my heart ache to see.

Giles - I think people have been quiet clear.

Women are at risk of rape anywhere especially so during an unpoliced unprotected journey across Europe. There will be rapists in any group of people. I would suggest there are rapists in the House of Commons, does this mean we should send all MPs to an island?

As has been said previously we look at these pictures with a western eye. People of different ethnicities with different life experiences age differently. This is not confusing.

I also think there is a naivety associated with saying "well if they lie about this what else will they lie about?" . These kids have been trafficked across Europe they would say anything to get to their remaining family. I for one do not think this makes them all criminally unsuitable for life in the UK.

Yes, out of a group of people some will arrive in the UK and commit crimes but this is true of any group from any nationality.

In terms of integration, that's quiet hard to do when lots of people think you are a lying, cheating rapist.

I haven't read the thread but I worked with migrant children many years ago. 90% of them were over 18 and insisting they were 14. Majority being male.

4th picture down is hilarious he looks about 30.

If it's so easy I'm rocking up to Barbados, telling them I'm 12 and they can support me for the rest of my life.

*"I dare say our children might look a bit older if in a camp for any length of time"

Hmmm---my understanding is that war, malnutrition and poverty tend to slow down growth and puberty.*

At the risk of talking to the wall (again)

Children adopted from orphanages in developing countries are up to 20 times more likely to experience precious puberty so I would image that life as a refugee is not dissimilar and therefore I would expect a similar inclination towards early puberty in a percentage of the group.

esides I really don;t agree that these photo's look significantly older than 17.

Which "child" do you think has thinning hair???

The one where you can't see his hair because of his hoodie?!

Interestingly one of the teens has several photos on there and in some because of the angle he does look older but when you see him in a different photo he looks very obviously like a young teenager.

Forget any criminal intent. Surely people are owed what they are owed employment wise and medically?

Employers dream isn't it? To have some school leaver pay them the minimum wage when actually they are old enough to qualify for a higher minimum wage?

I feel distinctly uneasy about the lack of girls. Why on earth are they not being prioritised? They are much more vunlerabe

I agree young girls, women and YOUNG boys. surely these are the most vulnerable along with the elderly and those disabled?

Sorry but I had to laugh at the women and children safer bombed comment esp when we know they are raped by terrorists and fighters as well as being bombed.

is is because the women are told to stay at home, are they allowed to travel?

I just dont think we have ever seen such a vast amount of men on the move in a crisis?

certainly in the holocaust it was men - women and children?

Most of them came from Iraq and Afghanistan when the war started. They would come with an agent and get rid of their passports and claim asylum at the airport as an unaccompanied child. The children act takes precedence over the immigration act so they had to be housed, educated, taken care of etc. Home office gave them discretionary leave to remain until they were 18. The only way to prove their real age was by dental checks which is too expensive and wasn't being done.

And once they reach 18 they are sent back. I know a number of refugees who arrived in the UK had education, jobs, houses and who have been sent back to Afghanistan. Does that make some of you feel better?

I also know 17 year olds who have 'disappeared' because they are scared of being returned.

There is a nasty, ugly underbelly of life in the UK, where refugee children are trafficked and abused - boys too - I worry about the smug, middle class short sightedness.

As to girls being safer bring bombed, I see your point, but girls are less likely to be forced to join an army and start fighting.

None of them have been sent back as far as I know. Those still in education, their visas get extended and 5 years after refugee status, they got indefinite leave to remain and one year later british citizenship. These were the ones who looked and claimed to be underage.

Those who disappeared are the ones who refused to get into education as they claimed to be underage but were old so couldn't integrate into classes of 14 years old.