Thread by @stand_for_all

Lord's debating age assessments in the #NationalityAndBordersBill, and in an entirely predictable turn of events Lord Green, of Migration Watch, misrepresents data to try and push an amendment which would see anyone who "looks 18+" automatically treated as an adult. 1/

This would obviously mean that inevitably more children would be held in adult facilities and denied their legal rights to protection. It would also increase the number of age disputes, which he uses to justify his argument. 2/

What his use of figures fails to take into account are, the number of those age disputes overturned, that many were conducted using "short assessments, which have been found to be unlawful, and the increase in use of age assessments by Home Office to attempt to deny asylum. 3/

If you look at the increase in age disputes, it is fairly obvious that this is not down to suddenly having thousands more people pretending to be children, but down to an overzealous Home Office attempting to see children treated as adults. 4/

https://twitter.com/Love146UK/status/1496885767230087172?s=20&t=btbKbLHvygH3wo4hE2QA1w

Lord Stewart admitting on behalf of the government that "scientific age assessments" are inaccurate. So why put children through these traumatic, and potentially invasive and dangerous, as per medical experts cited in this very debate, tests in the first place? 5/

Also particularly telling that when he gets asked a question which boils don to, "wouldn't these tests risk breaking the law", he doesn't have the information to hand. At this stage how does he still need to look this up? 6/

A number of medical associations, including the British Dental Association et al, have already stated, multiple times, that the proposed "scientific tests" would be unethical, potentially harmful, violate informed consent, and be, basically, unlawful 7/

While Lords take a brief break, quick shout out to my amazing colleagues at @Love146UK who don't just push for child protection to be at forefront of legislation, but also work on the ground with children who've been trafficked. Pls give them a follow 8/
committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidenc…

Lord Green withdraws his amendment which would have risked seeing children treated as adults based on their physical appearance, which when you consider for example that I am 40 and was recently ID'd, is not an effective or safe way of judging an individual's age. 9/

Amendment 64a, which significantly curtails the government's proposals on age assessments, and ensures that where carried out they are done so in line with child protection frameworks. Contents 232, not contents 167.