The arrival of refugee children has caused outrage in the UK, after the national press published photographs speculating on their age.
Pictures in right-wing tabloids like the Daily Mail zeroed in on the faces of the refugees, under headlines that included “mature beyond their years: more fears over the real age of child migrants” or "haven't you grown". The issue also drew the attention of David Davis, a Conservative politician who suggested the minors receive “dental checks” to verify their real age.
These don't look like "children" to me. I hope British hospitality is not being abused. https://t.co/1CKwsPnfaS
— David Davies MP (@DavidTCDavies) 17 October 2016
But the outrage was met with condemnation from many quarters, as other Brits chastized their representatives and slammed widespread public scrutiny over the appearance of vulnerable people.
Heaven Crawley, a British expert on migration, told Al Bawaba that “there are clearly safeguarding issues” surrounding the publication of photographs. “They are asylum seekers so potentially very vulnerable,” she said, adding that photographs could potentially put the refugees’ lives, or those of their families, at risk.
UK footballer Gary Lineker provoked a wave of anger and abuse after he tweeted that the criticisms of the teens were “racist”.
The treatment by some towards these young refugees is hideously racist and utterly heartless. What's happening to our country?
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) 18 October 2016
'X ray the teeth of child refugees'. Reminiscent of practises of Nazi Germany. How can we descend so low as to dehumanise those in need?
— Michael Cashman (@mcashmanCBE) 19 October 2016
The fiasco followed reports that two-thirds of child refugees in Calais who had their ages assessed were deemed to be over 18 – statistics that were released by the Home Office itself. All the children taken to Britain this week were judged to be minors.
Some Brits responded by publishing photographs of themselves at the same age, drawing attention to the fact that physical characteristics do not develop on a universal linear scale as individuals age.
— Alex Hern (@alexhern) 18 October 2016
The 14 child refugees let into the UK are among 300 who are set to arrive from Calais, brought to the UK under plans for unaccompanied child migrants to be resettled in the UK before the dismantling of the makeshift camp in France.
BS
