Ms Fiona Finn:

The issue of the identification of unaccompanied children and profiling was raised. We touched on the fact that the perception is that there is a preference for younger children, for whatever reason. Perhaps security concerns are behind that but I believe it is misguided and unfair. There is also an element of discrimination at play. I do not know how the needs of a 16 year old differ greatly from that of a 17 year old. The level of support the younger child needs may be greater but supports should be based on the individual as opposed to the individual's age profile. In law, an unaccompanied minor is defined as someone travelling alone under the age of 18. The recognised age is 18 and making any other distinctions below that is questionable. It is hard to know what potential objective justification could be provided for accepting a 15 year old but not a 17 year old. There is no objective criteria that can be applied to a decision like that.