AN ASYLUM seeker who arrived in the UK two years ago and was placed in adult accommodation in Conwy made repeated claims that he was, in fact, a child.

The male, who is not named, failed last week in a renewed application for permission from the High Court to challenge his age assessment by way of judicial review.

The High Court (sitting at Cardiff Civil and Family Justice Centre) heard that the male arrived in the UK in October 2022, when the Home Office recorded his date of birth as October 20, 2001.

Despite this, he claimed to be younger than 18 at the time, and continued to maintain that he was a child after being put in adult accommodation, and found to be an adult after assessment from Conwy social workers.

He was then transferred to adult accommodation in Cardiff, where he was also assessed by social workers to be an adult in October 2023.

The following reasons were given for this conclusion being made:

  • He was unable to provide much detail around his journey to the UK.
  • There were inconsistencies as to his account of contact with family in the UK.
  • There were no suggestions of any physical or learning difficulties.
  • He was asked to provide detailed answers but often gave “one-word answers” and appeared to be “deliberately evasive”.
  • Social workers in Conwy and Cardiff, and Home Office officials, all shared the opinion that his appearance, mannerisms and behaviour all indicated that he was an adult.

Handing down his judgment on November 29, Milwyn Jarman KC (sitting as a High Court judge) said: “The social workers relied upon appearance, but also the claimant’s stated background, previous statements to the authorities, and social interaction.

“The question remains whether the material before me raises a factual case which, taken at its highest, could properly succeed in a contested factual hearing (to assess the male’s age).

“In my judgment, it does not, and permission is refused.”