Sharp contrast in supports for adult and teenage asylum seekers worth examining

A TD's recent claim that international protection applicants are 'gaming the system' by saying they are children before they were subsequently deemed to be adults, raises two questions for Muireann Ní Raghallaigh

As an adult male, an international protection applicant is not considered vulnerable. He may spend a period of at least a few days living on the street, given the State’s failure to accommodate adult men at the point of arrival. Photo: Leah Farrell / © RollingNews.ie

Last week, Tusla released data indicating that 293 international protection applicants who said that they were children were subsequently deemed to be adults. 

This prompted discussions about age assessment of unaccompanied minors, within both the Committee on Public Accounts and within the media, with the focus primarily being on the potential risks posed to children if adults are placed with them. These are valid concerns.