A new report by Stand for Our Sovereignty and Facts4EU, published in association with GB News, has revealed official Home Office data showing widespread abuse of the asylum system by adult migrants claiming to be under 18.
The investigation, part of an ongoing “Asylum Special” series, uncovers for the first time the scale of the problem: nearly 40% of disputed age cases involved migrants who said they were under 18 but were later found to be adults.
The Incentive to Claim Childhood
Children are treated very differently by the asylum system. Official figures show unaccompanied migrants who say they are under 18 have an 84% approval rate, compared with just 56.5% for those aged 18–24. That means an asylum seeker is almost 50% more likely to succeed if they claim to be under 18.
The report argues this provides a strong incentive for young adults to present themselves as children, knowing the Home Office instructs staff to give the “benefit of the doubt” unless someone looks “very significantly over the age of 18.” In practice, this means many who appear to be in their late teens or early twenties are unlikely to face challenge.
Findings From Home Office Records
Between July 2023 and June 2024, the Home Office recorded:
- 4,727 applicants claiming to be under 18
- 2,854 accepted as under 18
- 1,873 found to be 18 or older – amounting to 39.6% of all resolved disputes
Campaigners warn that because officials are told to be cautious about opening age disputes, the real proportion of adults posing as children may be even higher.
“The Truth About the Child Migrants Who Are No Such Thing”
Images of visibly adult men claiming to be 17 have circulated widely in the press and on social media, but until now official data to back up public suspicions has been scarce. Stand for Our Sovereignty says its deep dive into Home Office files provides proof that the system is being exploited.
“This is the first time the public has clear facts showing how widespread the abuse is,” the group said. “Almost 40% of those challenged were lying about their age. If the Home Office doubled its investigations, the numbers caught could double too.”
Sovereignty at Stake
The report concludes that Britain’s generosity is being undermined by abuses of the asylum process. “Who can enter and stay in a country is a sovereign issue,” it states. “While the British people are tolerant and sympathetic to those in genuine need, these qualities have been stretched to breaking point by repeated exploitation of the system.”
The findings are being discussed today on GB News, including by Stand for Our Sovereignty Vice-Chairman Ben Philips, who will appear on the Martin Daubney and Nigel Farage programmes to outline the implications of the research.
This is the fourth report in the organisation’s series on asylum, which it says will continue to shine light on the data behind one of the most controversial issues in British politics.
To read the report in full go to: https://sovereignuk.org/asylum_part_iv/
Main Image: For illustration purposes only. Image created on AI.
