Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit says children arriving to claim asylum face appalling treatment by the British state
A major new report by Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU) has revealed that hundreds of children seeking asylum were wrongly placed in adult hotels in the North West of England last year, exposing them to serious risks and causing significant harm to their well-being.
The 49-page report, "This system destroys you": Children trapped in adult Asylum hotels by the Home Office, can be downloaded here.
According to the report, at least 296 unaccompanied minors were housed in adult asylum accommodation between January 2024 and February 2025. The report outlines how these young people, some of whom are survivors of trafficking and exploitation, faced unsafe living conditions among adult strangers. Many described episodes of mental health crises, including suicidal thoughts, as well as poor nutrition, isolation, and mistreatment by hotel staff.
Children spoken to by GMIAU for the report recounted how they were told at the UK border that their claimed age was not believed and that they would be treated as an adult. All were subsequently placed in adult asylum hotels across the North West of England, with most located in Greater Manchester.
GMIAU noted: "[A] large number of children arriving at the border are sent to adult accommodation instead of to a local authority to be looked after. This is because they have faced a brief 'assessment' by Home Office officials on arrival at the border and have been determined to be 'significantly over 18', based on the officials' opinion of their 'physical appearance and demeanour'. These officers are not trained social workers and have no qualification or expertise in assessing age. Their decisions directly contradict established guidance on assessing age, with a heavy weighting towards appearance. Children also reported inconsistent treatment regarding documents, not being given the opportunity to recover from their journey, and concerning behaviour by officials."
The report says such age assessments are likely to be inaccurate, reflecting a culture of disbelief, callousness, and cruelty towards vulnerable young people that, according to the testimony heard, has only become more entrenched.
"Children reported rudeness and bullying; being pressured to say they are an adult; officials refusing to view documents or continue the conversation; and persuading children to sign things they don't fully understand. They told us they were frightened and intimidated during these encounters, and did not always understand what was going on", GMIAU said.
As the report also reveals, children are being pressured to sign so-called "declaration of age" forms, accepting the age assigned to them by the Home Office, without fully informed consent. These forms are then used against them when they try to challenge the decision or seek support.
The inaccurate age assessments by border officials directly lead to children being placed in adult hotels, putting them at serious risk of harm. Separated from any form of appropriate care or safeguarding, these children are housed with unknown adults, many of whom are themselves struggling in unsafe and unsuitable conditions. The environment is marked by fear, neglect, and instability. Without access to the support they need, children report feeling unsafe, isolated, and mentally unwell. The report warns that unless urgent action is taken, children will continue to suffer serious harm.
Around half of the young people were told that they would need a further age assessment by the National Age Assessment Board (NAAB), but GMIAU questions NAABs independence and practices. It says the body is merely another part of a hostile asylum system and it compounds the many injustices faced by asylum-seeking children. According to GMIAU, the NAAB age assessment process is causing serious harm and leading to incorrect decisions. Children described the process as hostile, retraumatising, and biased.
GMIAU emphasised: "Each child we spoke to gave their own account of appalling treatment by the British state. This starts from the moment of reaching dry land in the UK and being intimidated and disbelieved by Home Office border officials; it continues with the frightening isolation of Home Office-contracted asylum accommodation in the North West, and the perplexing labyrinth that is trying to find help; and for some, it is repeated in hours of interrogation by Home Office-employed social workers."
The report calls on the Home Office to immediately acknowledge and rectify the failures of its age assessment processes. It demands the suspension of current practices, particularly the use of "significantly over 18" assessments at the border, pending investigation.
GMIAU also urges local authorities and accommodation providers to take urgent safeguarding measures. This includes mandatory referrals to children's services when a potential child is identified in adult accommodation, improved training for hotel staff, and better coordination across agencies.
Further, the report condemns the profit-driven model of asylum accommodation, pointing to a lack of accountability and a system where individuals seeking support are routinely passed between agencies.