A Sudanese illegal migrant who arrived by small boat in December 2023 claiming to be 16 has been ruled a child by a UK tribunal, overturning officials who assessed him as 23–25 based on a receding hairline, facial hair, deep voice and other adult markers.
Home Office and Hounslow Council placed him in adult accommodation after the initial assessment. His lawyers challenged the decision and a judge moved him into children’s housing pending review. In May 2025, the Immigration and Asylum Chamber said appearance alone was not enough to declare him an adult, quashed the age decision and ordered care under the Children Act 1989. Hounslow was ordered to pay over £30,000 in legal costs.
The ruling has angered critics who say the system is easily gamed when documents are missing and visual checks are then dismissed in court. Councils warn that disputed-age placements strain budgets and raise safeguarding risks if adults are housed with minors. Ministers have flagged “scientific” tests to verify age, but medical bodies question their accuracy and ethics, leaving policy in limbo.
Sudanese arrivals have risen. In the year to March 2025, 4,318 Sudanese nationals were detected after irregular entry, most via small boats. Many are placed in temporary accommodation while cases are contested.
