Over 2,000 adult asylum seekers caught lying about their age and posing as kids
MORE than 2,000 adult asylum seekers have been caught pretending to be children.
Immigration officers have investigated 3,929 people in the past five years who claimed asylum and said they were under 18.
And in more than half of cases — 2,135 — the “child” was found to be lying and was an adult.
It comes after pupils and parents voiced fears last month over a balding asylum seeker schoolboy who looked like a 40-year-old man in Coventry.
The latest Home Office statistics show asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iran and Iraq are the worst offenders.
And around two thirds of “child” refugees from Vietnam and Iran whose ages were checked were adults.
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UK arrivals often claim to be kids as the processing system is less harsh.
Controversy raged over the subject after the Calais “Jungle” camp was torn down in 2016 and migrants were let into the UK, many claiming to be children.
In 2017 ex-Border Force boss Tony Smith said: “Some would’ve sworn on their mums’ lives they were 16 despite having a beard and balding.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We are fixing our broken asylum system to make it firm and fair.
"We will seek to stop abuse of the system while ensuring it is compassionate towards those who need our help, welcoming people through safe and legal routes.”
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