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or local authority social services departments
10 U.K. Immigration Service. Best Practice: Unaccompa-
who may come into contact with unaccompanied
or separated or age disputed children should
undergo comprehensive training in the need for
a holistic assessment of age by an independent
panel of experts.
nied Minors: Unaccompanied asylum and non-asylum
seeking children. 1 January 2004. Para 1.1.
11 Home Office. Disputed Age Cases Asylum Process Manual.
C5: “Special Types of Cases.” 30 August 2005. Para 2.
12 Ibid, Endnote 11, para 3.1.
13 Ibid, Endnote 11, para 3.2.
■ 9. Original identity documents should not be
retained by the Immigration and Nationality
Directorate but should be returned to the
14 Interview with Heather Violett, a team leader for the
Immigration Advisory Service at Oakington Reception
Centre. 2004.
unaccompanied or separated child or his or
15 One of the unaccompanied or separated children
her legal representatives.
interviewed in depth for our research.
16 Interview with Samantha Day, a solicitor at Luqmani
Thompson. 2004.
Endnotes
17 Interview with Katherine Henderson, head of the Immigration
and Asylum Department at Browell Smith. 2004.
1 Comment by Lisa Nandy, the Children’s Society, 2005.
18 U.K. Immigration Service OASIS (Asylum Team). Best
2 Interview with Samar Tasselli, a case worker at
Practice: Unaccompanied Minors. 1 January 2004. Para 1.2.
Stockport Law Centre. 2004.
19 This could be done following the model adopted in
3 Interview with Liz Barratt, a solicitor at Bindman
Kent which is discussed below.
& Partners. 2004.
20 See R (On the Application of A) v. Secretary of State for
4 The high number of age disputes in this sample may
well have arisen because they were young people who
had remained in touch with organizations such as the
the Home Department CO/2858/2004 (an application
for permission to claim judicial review which was subsequently
settled by consent).
SEEKING ASYLUM ALONE | UNITED KINGDOM
64
Refugee Council, which may indicate that they had
encountered problems when applying for asylum and
had needed ongoing support.
5 Home Office. Secure Borders, Safe Haven: Integration
with Diversity in Modern Britain. CM 5387 February
2002. Para 4.55.
6 Ibid, Endnote 5, para 4.56.
7 For example, Bill Davies, head of the Asylum Support
Team at Manchester City Council, reported an incident
where a 20 year old was placed with children.
8 The NASS provides accommodation and financial
support to adult asylum seekers and their dependants,
often on run-down estates on the edges of towns and
far from London and the South East where the bulk
of recent migrants live.
9 One of the unaccompanied or separated children
interviewed in depth for our research.
21 Information supplied by Karen Goodman, Service
Manager, London Borough of Hillingdon, at a seminar
on “The Hillingdon Decision and its Repercussions,”
organized by the London Borough of Hillingdon and
Two Garden Court Chambers on 21 April 2005.
22 Ibid, Endnote 11, para 5.2.
23 U.K. Immigration Service. Best Practice: Unaccompanied
Minors: Unaccompanied asylum and non-asylum
seeking children. Para 5.4.
24 Ibid, Endnote 23, para 1.3; and see also Ibid, Endnote
11, para 3.4.
25 Age Assessment Joint Working Protocol Between Immigration
and Nationality Directorate of the Home Office
(IND) and Association of Directors of Social Services
(ADSS), Version One. 22 November 2005. Para 14b.
26 One of the unaccompanied or separated children
interviewed in depth for our research.
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