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Interim Operational Instruction 07/2026 Issued for Age-Disputed Individuals in UK Immigration Detention

🇬🇧 United KingdomBorder Security1 recorded versionLast change 17 Aug 2026
ConfidenceVery high · 100%

Current rules

An age dispute raised in detention must be treated as an immediate safeguarding issue. The staff member receiving the claim must notify the contracted service provider's duty manager and ensure the Home Office Compliance Team and Detention Engagement Team are informed within 2 hours. A Detainee Custody Manager must conduct an initial welfare and vulnerability assessment within 3 hours. An Age Dispute Care Plan must be opened without undue delay. The assessment must consider accommodation, observation, healthcare, welfare, interpreter needs, activities and other safeguarding needs. If the assessment cannot be completed within 3 hours in exceptional circumstances, the person should be placed in single occupancy and have supervised access to activities as a precaution. The person must continue to receive appropriate safeguards while their age is unresolved. The care plan must generally be reviewed every 72 hours. In England, access to DDAS appointments must continue while the person's age remains unresolved. If a person previously assessed as over 18 raises a new age dispute or provides new evidence, the case must be reconsidered through the relevant age-dispute process. Where a local authority or National Age Assessment Board has previously assessed the person, new evidence must be referred to them for consideration.

Overview

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has published Interim Operational Instruction 07/2026, updating guidance for Home Office staff on managing age dispute cases within the immigration detention estate. This instruction outlines the process for dealing with individuals claiming to be under 18, focusing on their care and management during age assessments. It applies to immigration detention facilities in the United Kingdom and became effective on 17 August 2026.

Who is affected by the latest change

  • People in UK immigration detention who say they are under 18
  • People whose age is disputed while they stay in an immigration removal centre
  • People waiting for an initial Home Office decision about their age
  • People waiting for a local authority age assessment or quick check
  • People who were previously assessed as adults but raise a new age dispute while detained
  • Home Office staff working in immigration removal centres
  • Staff from contracted service providers working in immigration removal centres

What changed in the latest version

Before

The existing Detention Services Order 02/2019 covered how to care for and manage people whose age was disputed in immigration detention. The Home Office updated this guidance in February 2022. This update included the rules for treating someone as an adult if they claimed to be a child. These rules were based on their physical look and behaviour. The Home Office's separate 'Assessing age' guidance still governed how age assessments happened. Staff had to respond to age disputes. However, the new instruction provides a more specific temporary process. This process explains what happens inside detention centres while an age dispute is not solved.

After

Staff must treat an age dispute raised in detention as an immediate issue for protection. The staff member who hears the claim must tell the contracted service provider's duty manager. They must also make sure the Home Office Compliance Team and Detention Engagement Team know within 2 hours. A Detainee Custody Manager (DCM) must complete an initial assessment of the person's welfare and risks within 3 hours. Staff must open an Age Dispute Care Plan (ADCP) quickly. The assessment must look at where the person stays, how they are watched, their healthcare, their general well-being, if they need an interpreter, their activities, and other protection needs. If staff cannot complete the assessment within 3 hours because of special circumstances, they should put the person in a single room. The person must also have supervised access to activities as a precaution. The person must continue to receive proper protection while their age is not solved. Staff must generally review the care plan every 72 hours. In England, people must continue to access appointments for the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DDAS) while their age is not solved. If a person was previously assessed as over 18 but now raises a new age dispute or provides new information, staff must look at the case again. They must use the correct age-dispute process. If a local authority or the National Age Assessment Board has previously assessed the person, staff must send any new information to them to review.

This temporary instruction shows a stronger focus on the well-being and protection of people in immigration detention who might be underage. Staff in Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs) must now follow strict, timed steps. These steps are for identifying, reporting, and managing age dispute claims. They include specific rules for accommodation and activities. If staff do not follow these detailed steps, it could put people at risk immediately. It could also lead to problems for staff and service providers who do not follow the rules. This change affects daily operations. It needs immediate changes to make sure staff intervene quickly and plan proper care for people whose age is disputed.

Explained simply

Imagine someone arriving at a special facility who says they're a child, but the adults there think they might be older. This new rule is like giving the grown-ups a strict timetable and a checklist for what to do right away to keep that person safe. They have to tell their boss quickly, check on the person within a few hours, and make sure they're staying in a safe place, like their own room if needed. It's all about making sure that if there's any chance they're a child, they get looked after properly until their real age is confirmed, like following a rulebook for a referee to make sure everyone plays fair.

Frequently asked

Version history

  1. v4Effective 17 Aug 2026EffectiveHigh impact
    Interim Operational Instruction 07/2026 Issued for Age-Disputed Individuals in UK Immigration Detention

    The UK Home Office has issued Interim Operational Instruction (IOI) 07/2026. It started on 17 August 2026. This instruction covers how to care for and manage people in immigration removal centres (IRCs) whose age is unclear. This interim guidance requires immediate actions to protect people. Staff must tell the Home Office and other service staff within two hours of someone saying their age is disputed. A Detainee Custody Manager (DCM) must lead an initial assessment. Staff must also open an Age Disputes Care Plan (ADCP). These must happen within three hours. This makes sure people get suitable accommodation and daily activities. This IOI applies to all Home Office staff and staff from contracted service providers in IRCs. It applies to those who manage or support people whose age is disputed.

Timeline

  1. Announced

    17 Aug 2026

    UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has published Interim Operational Instruction 07/2026, updating guidance for Home Office staff on managing age dispute cases within the immigration detention estate. This instruction outlines the process for dealing with individuals claiming to be under 18, focusing on their care and management during age assessments. It applies to immigration detention facilities i

  2. Takes effect

    17 Aug 2026

    The guidance for Home Office staff in immigration detention for managing individuals claiming to be under 18 has been updated to include Interim operational instruction 07/2026. This instruction specifically relates to the care and management of age-disputed individuals in immigration detention. Additionally, there was a change in the threshold for assessing someone claiming to be a child as an ad

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