UK Home Secretary under fire as Home Office bids to target child asylum seekers

Human rights experts have accused the home secretary, Priti Patel, of ignoring legal guidance in an attempt to target child asylum seekers who cannot prove they are under 18.

A letter from the Home Office, seen by the Observer, reveals that the government is putting pressure on social workers to speed up the age assessment of unaccompanied minors, and offering to bankroll councils that face legal challenges as a result. The move comes as new evidence shows that hundreds of people were deported at the height of lockdown, despite the potential health risks.

Writer: Mark Townsend

Source: The Guardian