Britain faces an unprecedented surge in adult migrants falsely declaring themselves as minors to gain asylum advantages.
According to a Breitbart News report, the first half of 2024 saw 1,317 cases of adult migrants falsely claiming to be underage asylum seekers, surpassing the total cases from 2017 to 2019 combined.
The data reveals that Afghanistan, Sudan, Vietnam, and Eritrea are the top countries of origin for these fraudulent claims. Immigration Minister Dame Angela Eagle acknowledged that approximately one in five migrants crossing the English Channel falsely claim to be minors to improve their chances of staying in the UK.
Dame Angela Eagle, speaking at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, explained the rationale behind this deception:
There is an issue about identifying correctly those who are children… About 20 per cent of the people that come across in boats at the moment are claiming they're children. Not all of them are.
She further elaborated that migrants have realized claiming to be a child often results in more favorable treatment during the asylum process. This revelation highlights the challenges faced by immigration authorities in accurately assessing the age of asylum seekers.
The minister also emphasized the importance of addressing this issue due to potential safeguarding concerns. Placing adults in facilities meant for children, or vice versa, poses significant risks to both groups.
Several high-profile cases have demonstrated the severe consequences of failing to properly identify adult migrants posing as minors.
One such case involved Lawangeen Abdulrahimzai, an Afghan murderer who entered the UK illegally by claiming to be a 14-year-old orphan when he was actually 18.
Abdulrahimzai was placed in foster care and enrolled in school, where he sexually abused young girls. In 2022, he fatally stabbed aspiring marine Thomas Roberts. Another notable case was that of Ahmed Hassan, the Parsons Green terrorist, who falsely claimed to be a child upon entering the UK before carrying out a bomb attack on the London underground in 2017.
The previous Conservative government had planned to implement stricter age verification measures, including the use of X-rays and dental checks. However, with the recent change in government, it remains unclear whether the new Labour administration will proceed with these plans.
Despite Prime Minister Starmer's promises to address illegal immigration, over 10,000 migrants have entered the UK via small boats since his government took office in July.
This brings the total for the year to more than 25,000, indicating that the issue remains a significant challenge for the new administration.
In conclusion, the UK is grappling with a record number of adult migrants falsely claiming to be minors to gain asylum advantages. This trend poses serious challenges for the immigration system and raises safety concerns. While previous plans to tighten age verification measures were proposed, the new government's approach to this issue remains to be seen as illegal migration continues to be a pressing problem.
