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Commons Law CIC and the Migrants' Law Project (part of Asylum Aid) have undertaken research about the criminalisation of young people seeking asylum.

The research found that young people seeking asylum in the UK are often particularly vulnerable due to their life experiences before, during, and after migration. Systems of accommodation and support in the UK, provided by local authorities and the Home Office, increase this vulnerability. Behaviours that arise from this increased vulnerability (such as offending behaviours) are surveilled and disciplined through contact with the police. Some young people are criminalised for minor offences, however, due to their immigration status, the consequences of criminalisation are potentially greater for them than for other young people. Young people vulnerable to exploitation, by way of trafficking or modern slavery, are not always protected from being criminalised.

This report makes use of casework data, interviews, and a review of the literature to present a comprehensive study into why some young people seeking asylum are in touch with the criminal justice system - and makes recommendations to reduce and prevent criminalisation. A second report (to be published shortly) seeks to understand the experiences of young people within the criminal justice system and the outcomes.

Read the executive summary and the full report.