Age Assessment for Asylum Seekers

Our lawyers specialise in age assessment challenges. We have significant experience in overturning negative age assessment decisions and issuing judicial reviews against local authorities. Read on to find out more about our experience and the leading cases we have been involved in.

Contact us

Contact

  • “The firm is known for expertly running judicial review challenges against local authorities, and has recently succefully challenged the Secretary of State for the Home Department in a case relating to adverse age assessments for unaccompanied asylum-seeking putative minors.”

  • Osbornes are always very good at dealing with complex cases. They are a very knowledgeable and experienced team.”

Why are there disputes over age?

The age assessment of unaccompanied children seeking asylum is a challenging process.

Many countries from which refugees and asylum seekers flee from do not have a robust administration system, particularly when it comes to registering births or issuing passports. Therefore, many individuals who enter the UK arrive without conclusive proof that they are a child.

Why does age assessment matter?

Children are entitled to various services from local councils, including education and accommodation. Age also has implications on whether the applicant is eligible for financial support and protections against deportation.

In immigration cases, whenever the age of the applicant is in doubt, the Home Office can order an age assessment, which operates under ‘benefit of the doubt’ guidance. This means that unless the applicant’s appearance very strongly suggests that they are significantly over the age of 18, they should be treated as a child until a more complete assessment is carried out.

Specialist Age Assessment Lawyers

Osbornes Law are instructed to help clients establish their age during the age assessment process and to help challenge assessments which conclude that an individual should be treated as an adult.

Our expert age assessment lawyers have significant experience in challenging negative age assessments, including issuing judicial review proceedings against local authorities.

  • "The firm is known for expertly running judicial review challenges against local authorities, and has recently succefully challenged the Secretary of State for the Home Department in a case relating to adverse age assessments for unaccompanied asylum-seeking putative minors."

    Legal 500 2023

Contact us today

For a free initial conversation call 020 7485 8811

Email us Send us an email and we’ll get back to you

    • [utm_campaign_i][/utm_campaign_i]
      [utm_source_i][/utm_source_i]
      [utm_medium_i][/utm_medium_i]
      [utm_term_i][/utm_term_i]
      [utm_content_i][/utm_content_i]
      [gclid_i][/gclid_i]

    Housing and Community Care InsightsVIEW ALL

    1. Business people hands applauding at meeting
      14.7.2022

      20 Years of Celebrating Legal Aid Lawyers

      This year the litigation team at Osbornes attended the 20th anniversary of the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year 2022 (“LALY 2022”)...

      Read more
    2. london house
      16.5.2022

      Immediate, Non-Deferrable and Unqualified

      Judgment was handed down on 04 May 2022 in the Court of Appeal in an important case regarding the main housing duty....

      Read more
    3. Homeless Teenager
      5.11.2021

      Council overturns unlawful housing policy

      Homeless teenager claims victory for more than 1,200 homeless people after forcing council to overturn unlawful housing policy A homeless teenager...

      Read more
    4. shoreditch london
      3.9.2021

      Homeless Teenager takes London Council to High Court

      A homeless teenager is taking a London council to the High Court for ‘unlawfully’ banning hundreds of homeless people from...

      Read more
    5. mould
      19.8.2021

      Housing Disrepair Scandal in South London

      Following an investigation by ITV nearly 500 homes in the Eastfields Estate in Mitcham, south London, owned by the housing association...

      Read more
    6. anxious woman
      14.5.2021

      Possession Claims Amends Due to Pandemic

      Last year I set out in two blogs the amendments implemented by the Government in the procedure for residential possession ...

      Read more
    7. 8.4.2021

      Council to amend unlawful housing allocation banding process

      For the last 8 years Brent Council has stopped the majority of homeless applicants from bidding for rehousing, treating them as ‘...

      Read more
    8. 22.2.2021

      Trapped in your Home Lockdown or Not! – The...

      Thousands of leaseholders are facing huge bills for safety improvements to their building after the Grenfell disaster. As a result...

      Read more
    9. 29.1.2021

      What does the national lockdown mean for possession...

      The coronavirus pandemic has caused disruption to all elements of life, and possession proceedings are no exception. The number of...

      Read more
    10. 25.1.2021

      Hackney Council ignore vulnerable resident’s request

      Paranoid schizophrenic ignored by Hackney Council for four years wins legal battle over unsafe front door A man who suffers...

      Read more
    11. 25.1.2021

      Teenage asylum seeker wins legal battle against Council...

      Vulnerable teenage asylum seeker wins age case against the council which unlawfully assessed him A vulnerable teenager who sought asylum...

      Read more
    12. 23.12.2020

      EU Nationals with Pre-Settled Status entitled to benefits...

      Court Judgment means EU Nationals with Pre-Settled Status can access benefits and housing On 18 December 2020 the Court of Appeal handed...

      Read more
    13. 2.12.2020

      Education provision to age disputed migrants

      The thorny issue of education provision to age disputed migrants There was an interesting article in The Guardian last week...

      Read more
    14. 24.11.2020

      Is the delay in the Renters Reform Bill...

      There have been issues tenants have faced for a long time before pandemic; namely no fault evictions and the other...

      Read more
    15. 20.11.2020

      Up Up and away to the First Tier...

      This year we assisted in written representations for a welfare benefit case in the Upper Tribunal. This is a Housing...

      Read more
    16. 20.11.2020

      You are homeless because you are in shared...

      It is well established that shared facilities are not suitable for families with children as long term accommodation. The client...

      Read more
    17. 24.8.2020

      Housing Lawyer at Osbornes comments on the government’...

      Alex McMahon, expert housing lawyer in the housing and community care department at Osbornes has been quoted in various publications...

      Read more
    18. 13.8.2020

      Judicial review – friend or foe?

      The Government announced on 31st July 2020 that an independent panel has been asked to look at judicial review to consider...

      Read more
    19. 24.7.2020

      Rejecting tenants on housing benefit deemed indirect discrimination

      In a recent decision in the County Court at York it was held that a letting agent’s policy of...

      Read more
    20. 27.5.2020

      I am vulnerable and homeless but the Council...

      Homelessness law and procedure can be very complicated. We hope this blog gives you some helpful pointers but it is...

      Read more
    21. 5.5.2020

      I have lost my job and I have...

      The impact of the current pandemic is being felt by many, but the prospect of losing your job or not...

      Read more
    22. 4.5.2020

      No recourse to public funds in the time...

      Anyone working in the field of social welfare law will be familiar with the term “no recourse to public funds”....

      Read more
    23. 4.5.2020

      I am renting from a private landlord and...

      I know that many individuals across the country are extremely worried about the instability of their housing. This was a...

      Read more
    24. 29.4.2020

      Case news: Housing benefit decision addresses issue of...

      The background You might be forgiven for thinking that the question of whether a course is full time or part...

      Read more

    VIEW ALL

    Contact us today

    For a free initial conversation call 020 7485 8811

    Email us Send us an email and we’ll get back to you

      • [utm_campaign_i][/utm_campaign_i]
        [utm_source_i][/utm_source_i]
        [utm_medium_i][/utm_medium_i]
        [utm_term_i][/utm_term_i]
        [utm_content_i][/utm_content_i]
        [gclid_i][/gclid_i]

      Accreditations

      • Times best law firms 2023