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concern the plethora of evidence of unsatisfactory
policy and practice. Most notable is the difference
between adult and child asylum grant rates, a difference
which indicates that children are much less likely
to be granted asylum, and therefore to be eligible
for long term protection, irrespective of their needs
and eligibility. Other defects include the neglect of
child specific information on persecution, a failure
to apply a liberal “benefit of the doubt” approach to
evidence provided by children, despite the explicit
international legal recommendations to adopt such
an approach, and a series of recent policy initiatives
relating to curtailed protection for children which
place them at risk of renewed harm. We are particularly
concerned by the significant numbers of children
who, because of disputes over age determination, end
up being detained and denied a child appropriate
the time of making an asylum application is, or (if
asylum determination procedure.
there is no proof) appears to be, under eighteen; is
applying for asylum in his or her own right; and
has no adult relative or guardian to turn to in this
14.2 Outlining the Protection
Deficits and the Way Forward
country.” This definition focuses on the fact that the
child has travelled alone. This does not adequately
cover the situation facing many children who arrive
SEEKING ASYLUM ALONE | UNITED KINGDOM
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We conclude by outlining the protection
deficits, and importantly, by collating
our specific and concrete recommendations,
in the hope that this will be the aspect of
our work which is taken up and drives future developments
in this important and problematic area of
child protection.
Chapter 2
Unaccompanied or Separated Children
Arriving in the United Kingdom
Inconsistent and narrow definition
of “unaccompanied child”
According to the Home Office definition: “an unaccompanied
asylum seeking child is a person who, at
or remain in the U.K. and are in need of protection.
For instance the definition excludes children who
arrive with adults who are not their parents or legal
or customary primary caregivers (for example,
where they have been trafficked or smuggled into
the U.K.).
Inconsistency and incompleteness
of statistical data
Until 2002 the annual statistics collected and published
by the Home Office on applications from
unaccompanied or separated children were incomplete.
Data from local enforcement offices and from
postal applications 1 were not collected, which probably
led to significant underestimation. Moreover,
until 2005, the Home Office did not include age disputed
children in its statistics nor did it adjust its
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