Gia’s Story* – Scottish Refugee Council

When children seeking safety are wrongly labeled as adults by authorities, the consequences can be devastating.

16-year-old Gia came to us for help during a drop-in session we held at his shelter hotel. He was upset.

Although Gia told authorities his age, they believed he was eight years older. He had just learned that a social worker had conducted an age assessment and found him to be 24.

Gia is clearly still a teenager. He was extremely upset and overwhelmed by being wrongly labeled as an adult. We took the time to listen to him and reassure him.

With the help of an interpreter, Gia revealed that he is a survivor of human trafficking and was brought to the UK for sexual exploitation. He told us about the nightmares he has because of what he went through.

We let Gia know that we believed him and would do what we could to help. After explaining the next steps, we agreed to call him the following week to update him and make sure he was okay.

With Gia’s permission, we contacted the social services department to express our concerns. We also referred Gia for specialist support from the British Red Cross and Trafficking Awareness Raising Alliance. With the help of our legal partners, we put together a case to challenge the age assessment that had classified him as an adult.

A few weeks later Gia contacted us again for help. Despite our concerns, the Home Office had written to tell him that he was being moved to temporary accommodation with shared rooms.

This new accommodation was completely unsuitable for a vulnerable child like Gia. He was already deeply traumatised by his experiences. The prospect of being forced to share a room with adults he did not know was terrifying.

We immediately contacted Gia’s lawyer, who helped us.

Thanks to Gia’s lawyer challenging the age assessment, the social services department has now recognised that he is still a child, and the Ministry of the Interior has recognised that he is 16 years old.

As a result, Gia has been moved out of unsuitable temporary shelter care and is now living with a supportive and caring foster family. He has also been referred to the Guardianship Scotland service, which we run in partnership with Aberlour Children’s Charity, and is awaiting a match with a Guardian.

Gia is now receiving specialist support to help him deal with his complex trauma and is looking forward to a better future and hopes to pursue an education here in Scotland.

*Names and other identifying information have been changed

Refugee Support Service