A refugee from Syria who Home Office officials insisted was 28 due to his beard line and deep voice was in fact 17, a court has ruled.
When he arrived in the UK, the boy, who had been smuggled across the English Channel, was placed in adult accommodation rather than with children's services because of the erroneous assessment.
Hundreds of child asylum seekers have been placed in unsupervised adult accommodation or detention after their ages were assessed wrongly, which campaigners say puts them at risk of abuse.
Many have gone to court to challenge the decisions but charity workers, teachers and others who came into contact with the Syrian refugee were left dumbfounded by officials’ claims he was nearer 30 than a teenager.
The judge hearing the case said in her ruling that is made “one wonder if they were actually observing the same person”.
The Refugee Council’s Kama Petruczenko told The National she was "absolutely astonished that we allow even one child to go through what this child went through, which is absolutely shattering".
“Sadly, such cases are not rare, and many children have to go through the court process to be safe and access education, to essentially prove what they were saying from the beginning, that they are children,” said Ms Petruczenko, senior policy analyst.
“Children end up sharing rooms with adults, are erroneously placed in adult detention centres, or in adult prisons, because the system regards them as adults and there are no safeguards for them and that’s frankly appalling.”
In another case, an article on the age boys start shaving from razor manufacturer Gillette's website was used by UK authorities to try to prove a child Afghan asylum seeker was an adult.
The Syrian refugee, who cannot be named for legal reasons, left Syria after the Kurdish YPG militia made a request for him to serve with them, which left the boy’s father fearful his son would be killed.
He was eventually taken by people smugglers across Europe and then crossed the English Channel by boat to the UK with other migrants.
When he arrived he told Home Office he was born on June 20, 2005 but they assessed him as having been being born on June 20, 1994.
He was described by Liverpool City Council as having a “defined beard line across his face with dark shadows” and characteristics of an adult such as a deep voice and prominent Adam’s apple.
The asylum seeker, known as MAA in court documents, was place in adult accommodation which left him “lonely, scared and unhappy”. His case was taken up by the Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit, which challenged the assessment of his age.
A number of witnesses who gave evidence to the age assessment hearing at a court in Manchester gave opposing accounts of his appearance.
Helene Santamera, who worked as a refugee support worker for the British Red Cross, said she was "astounded it could be said that he looked to be 28”.
At a Christmas party he chose a teddy bear as a present and “he did not look out of place with other young people”.
She noted "he spoke with a tone that was slightly high as expected from a teenager" and she could see no defined beard line.
Judge Susan Kebede ruled the asylum seeker was the age he said and the claim that he was 11 years older was the “unreasoned opinion of an immigration official whose experience in age assessment is unknown”.
Ms Petruczenko said it is "important to highlight that the judge was very clear that visual assessments are unreliable and that inconsistencies that may arise during the age determination process should always be put to a child so they can respond to them".
"It’s really important that children are given this opportunity, and in this case, they weren’t," she said.
"The strong impression you are left with is that the social workers in question concluded early on that they were dealing with an adult and built a narrative that would prove that point, rather than give this child a fair opportunity to be properly assessed."
The Home Office has been approached for a response. Liverpool City Council declined to comment.
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Launched: March 2017 on UAE Mother’s Day
Founder: Shamim Kassibawi
Based: Dubai with operations in the UAE and US
Sector: Tech
Size: 20 employees
Stage of funding: Seed
Investors: Three founders (two silent co-founders) and one venture capital fund
Healthy tips to remember
Here, Dr Mohamed El Abiary, paediatric consultant at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai, shares some advice for parents whose children are fasting during the holy month of Ramadan:
Gradual fasting and golden points - For children under the age of 10, follow a step-by-step approach to fasting and don't push them beyond their limits. Start with a few hours fasting a day and increase it to a half fast and full fast when the child is ready. Every individual's ability varies as per the age and personal readiness. You could introduce a points system that awards the child and offers them encouragement when they make progress with the amount of hours they fast
Why fast? - Explain to your child why they are fasting. By shedding light on the importance of abstaining from food and drink, children may feel more encouraged to give it there all during the observance period. It is also a good opportunity to teach children about controlling urges, doing good for others and instilling healthy food habits
Sleep and suhoor - A child needs adequate sleep every night - at least eight hours. Make sure to set a routine early bedtime so he/she has sufficient time to wake up for suhoor, which is an essential meal at the beginning of the day
Good diet - Nutritious food is crucial to ensuring a healthy Ramadan for children. They must refrain from eating too much junk food as well as canned goods and snacks and drinks high in sugar. Foods that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and proteins, like fruits, fresh meats and vegetables, make for a good balanced diet
Naga
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Company Profile
Company name: NutriCal
Started: 2019
Founder: Soniya Ashar
Based: Dubai
Industry: Food Technology
Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount
Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia
Total Clients: Over 50
HOW DO SIM CARD SCAMS WORK?
Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.
They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards, often by claiming their phone has been lost or stolen
They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.
The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.
How to increase your savings
- Have a plan for your savings.
- Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
- Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
- It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings.
- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
MEYDAN CARD
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group One (PA) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) $100,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m
8.50pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group Two (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,600m
10pm Dubai Trophy Conditions (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,200m
10.35pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
The National selections:
6.30pm AF Alwajel
7.05pm Ekhtiyaar
7.40pm First View
8.15pm Benbatl
8.50pm Zakouski
9.25pm: Kimbear
10pm: Chasing Dreams
10.35pm: Good Fortune
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying or online bullying could take many forms such as sending unkind or rude messages to someone, socially isolating people from groups, sharing embarrassing pictures of them, or spreading rumors about them.
Cyberbullying can take place on various platforms such as messages, on social media, on group chats, or games.
Parents should watch out for behavioural changes in their children.
When children are being bullied they they may be feel embarrassed and isolated, so parents should watch out for signs of signs of depression and anxiety
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
