Home Office Consultation on Processing Children’s Asylum Claims Guidance and Age Estimation Committee Vacancy

Home Office Consultation

The Home Office is consulting with key stakeholders about guidance on processing children’s asylum claims guidance.

Social workers are central to the process of disputed age determination for those asylum seekers who are, or who claim to be, children. Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are accommodated by local authorities and placed and supported by social workers under Section 20 of the 1989 Children Act, and subsequently under the legislation relating to care leavers.

The Home Office is now consulting with stakeholders about the guidance on processing children’s asylum claims, and BASW would like to hear from members that have the relevant experience who may be interested in feeding back.

Please email BASW’s Public and Political Affairs Lead, Kerri Prince, on kerri.prince@basw.co.uk if you’re interested in seeing the proposed guidance. We have set a deadline of 7th November for feedback, and we encourage members to get in touch as soon as possible to meet this deadline.

Age Estimation Committee Vacancy

As a result of the Nationality and Borders Bill, the Home Office has set up an ‘Age Estimation Advisory Committee’ which is considering which scientific methods to introduce that will help estimate the age of asylum seekers who are claiming to be under 18 but where an initial assessment has disputed this claim.

The Committee is seeking an individual in children’s social services to join the committee as a member.

The deadline is 11pm on Sunday 6th November, and you can find further information here.