Immigration judges have declared a Sudanese "asylum seeker" is a child in the face of a Home Office assessment that he was at least 23 years old, had a receding hairline and thick facial hair.
The migrant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will be treated as a child during his asylum application process after the ruling - despite serious concerns over his age.
He initially arrived in Britain by boat on September 6, 2023, having travelled through Libya, Tunisia, Italy and France after fleeing Sudan's war.
Upon arrival, he claimed to be 16 years and six months old, claiming he was born on April 3, 2007 in Omdurman, near Khartoum.
The migrant arrived in Britain by boat on September 6, 2023, having travelled through Libya, Tunisia, Italy and France
PA
But officials from both the Home Office and the London Borough of Hounslow immediately disputed his age claim.
Government assessors initially said the asylum seeker appeared "much older", citing his "receding hairline" and evidence he had been "shaving for a while" with "thick facial hair".
The Home Office also noted his broad chest, forehead wrinkles and crow's feet.
After these initial observations, the migrant was placed in adult asylum accommodation in Hounslow, west London.
But his legal team subsequently launched a judicial review of the decision.
MORE MIGRATION MADNESS:
Home Office officials immediately disputed his age claim - but he has now been declared a 'child'
PA
In December 2023, a judge ordered the asylum seeker be moved to children's accommodation while his case was decided.
The final ruling, delivered by Judges Hugo Norton-Taylor and Sarah Pinder, declared "the applicant's date of birth is 3 April 2007".
Judge Norton-Taylor also recently allowed a Palestinian family of six to enter Britain through a Ukrainian refugee scheme.
Sir Keir Starmer described the Palestinian decision as "wrong", prompting criticism from England's top judge Baroness Carr for failing to "respect and protect" judges.
The pair ordered Hounslow council to treat him as a child and provide support under the Children Act 1989, while also paying more than £30,000 towards his legal costs.
The judges found it was "more likely than not that [the asylum seeker] has provided a true account of his age and date of birth".
They also cast claims about his thick facial hair aside, noting a photograph from April 2024 showed only "very light facial hair on his upper lip".
"We find that [he] has been on the whole consistent in his account of how he came to know of his age and date of birth," they said.
"He has maintained that he grew up knowing his age and date of birth and that he was told this by his mother. [He] became aware of his age when he started attending the Khalwa, where he studied the Koran."
The judges also rejected the council's argument that his wisdom teeth indicated he was older.
