Four in 10 migrants crossing the Channel in small boats lie about being children, official figures show.
Many are believed to have destroyed their identification documents before arriving in Britain in a desperate attempt to cheat the asylum system.
Child refugees cannot be deported and have the rights to the same healthcare, education and sustenance as British children.
Home Office figures show that from mid-2022 to June 2024, 11,449 age disputes were raised by UK Border Force staff.
A staggering 1,305 of those caught lying about their age were from Afghanistan, in a bid to get special protection in the UK.
