Migrant 'children' arriving in Britain from Calais to critics claiming they look 'old enough to be adults' may appear older 'because war has toughened them up', the Home Office claims.

The second wave of 'child' migrants from the Jungle Camp arrived in Britain at lunchtime today with 300 more set to follow in their footsteps in the coming week.

Refugees, who the Government claims are aged 14 to 17, arrived at the UK Visas and Immigration office in Croydon, south London, by coach as part of a fast-track system to move youngsters from the French migrant camp before it is demolished.

Some waved to the waiting cameras as they stepped off the packed bus before being escorted into the main building by UK border enforcement officers.

The youngsters, from war-torn countries including Syria and Sudan, join the 14 that arrived at the immigration centre yesterday.

They are entitled to move to the UK under EU asylum law due to their family ties to those already in the UK - and 300 more are expected to arrive in the coming days.

It comes as critics claim some of the 'children' arriving look older than their teenage years, and warned that some adults may be posing as children to abuse the scheme.

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A second group of migrants have arrived from the Calais jungle camp at the Home Office immigration centre in Croydon, south London, today as part of the fast-track scheme

UK Border Force staff escort a group of unaccompanied minors from the Jungle migrant camp in Calais as they arrive at an immigration centre in Croydon, south London this lunchtime. There is no suggestion those pictured arriving in London today are lying about being under 17

The refugee children were escorted from a coach into the immigration centre in Croydon. There is no suggestion that those pictured are lying about being under 17

A Home Office spokesman admitted that routine medical tests, such as checking dental records, have not been carried out because it could be 'intrusive'. Pictured: Arrivals in Croydon - There is no suggestion that those pictured are lying about being under 17

After photographs of the refugees arriving were published, Conservative MP David Davies wrote on Twitter: 'These don't look like 'children' to me. I hope British hospitality is not being abused.'

Meanwhile, Iain McGregor wrote: 'Does the British Foreign Office think we are stupid? I was expecting kids under the age of 16, not over the age of 21.'

Another added: 'When I read child migrants I thought it was youngsters. These are young men!!'. And David Moore said: 'Lie about your age and you get a ride into the land of milk and honey. Don't think they will be asked for ID at the pub.'

Others commented that some of the 'children' had managed to grow facial hair, while Mr Davies questioned why no girls or women had been brought to Britain.

He told The Telegraph: 'These young men don't look like minors to me. They are hulking teenagers who look older than 18. I'm all for helping the genuine children but the well of goodwill is rapidly being exhausted here.

'I'm also curious that there are no young women - I would have thought they would be much more vulnerable. I worry that once again British hospitality is being abused.

'There is no way of knowing if someone is a child. We could end up causing even more misery if we are not careful. We should invite anyone who wants to come to the UK to take dental tests.'

WHAT CHECKS IS THE HOME OFFICE CARRYING OUT? On background checks, the Home Office states: We work closely with the French Authorities to ensure that the cases applying to come to the UK qualify under Dublin. Initial interviews are conducted to gather information on identity, medical conditions and age among other criteria. On age we use a number of determining factors: - That the individual has provided credible and clear documentary evidence proving their claimed age; - That the individual has a physical appearance/demeanour which does not strongly suggest they are significantly over 18 years of age - That the individual has been subject to a Merton compliant age assessment by a local authority and been assessed to be 18 years of age or over, which must be signed off by two social workers. Advertisement

Officials insist the migrants have undergone rigorous interviews and document checks to establish they are aged under 18. But it has emerged that this is simply a screening process where they are verified as a child based on their 'physical appearance' and 'demeanour', with social workers signing off an 'age assessment'.

A Home Office spokesman admitted that routine medical tests, such as checking dental records, have not been carried out because it could be 'intrusive'.

An aid worker in Calais also raised concerns that adults may be lying about their age to gain entry into Britain.

The worker said: 'It is a complete mess. Those at the front of the queue are not the most needy and vulnerable – they are adults pretending to be children.'

Daniel Gadi, a nine-year-old boy from Eritrea, was also among those still left at the camp.

His father Abaye said he wanted his son to be looked after by his late wife's sister in London, but had not been accepted as he is not an unaccompanied child.

Neha, a British volunteer working in a café for child migrants in the camp, said: 'I know there are vulnerable kids, kids with epilepsy, who are still here that have family in the UK they could be with right now.

'It's a shambles. Children are not being told what they are queuing up for, they are not being given information, there is complete confusion.'

However, a Home Office spokesman said the child migrants may look older because fleeing war zones had 'probably toughened them up so they've grown up a bit quicker'.

Officials insist the migrants underwent rigorous interviews and checks on documents they carried to establish they were aged under 18.

Migrant 'children' arriving in Britain from Calais to critics claiming they look 'old enough to be adults' may look older 'because war has toughened them up', the Home Office claims. Pictured: An Afghani migrant waves as he leaves Saint Omer, France and heads to Britain today

They youngsters are entitled to move to the UK under EU asylum law due to their family ties to those already in the UK - and many more are expected to arrive in the coming days. Pictured: 'Young' migrants place their belongins into a van as they depart Saint Omer, France today

The group gather at the shelter in Saint Omer this morning ahead of their departure to the UK

Aimal Khan, 14, dressed in a grey 'hoodie' and jogging bottoms (right) is escorted to the Home Office branch in Croydon, south London, after arriving from the Calais Jungle camp yesterday

TEENAGE REFUGEE IS REUNITED WITH UNCLE AFTER 7 YEARS A teenage refugee from Afghanistan has been reunited with his uncle in Britain after seven years apart. Jan Ghazi said it was 'like a dream' when the first teenagers arrived from the the Calais jungle camp in France included his nephew, Haris. As the group were loaded on to a minibus at Lunar House in Croydon, south London, after a day of assessment and screening at the Home Office building, there was a chance for a brief embrace with loved ones. Jan Ghazi said it was 'like a dream' when the first teenagers arrived from the the Calais jungle camp in France included his nephew, Haris. They had a brief embrace yesterday One of those waiting was Jan, 37, who had not seen his 16-year-old nephew for seven years. Jan, of Wallington, south London, said: 'Seven years. It was when I saw his eyes, from when he was a child seven years ago - I recognised his eyes. 'This was not enough after seven years, it was like a dream.' Haris had made a harrowing journey to the squalid camp in Calais from Afghanistan, his uncle said, fleeing with his brother, who was later killed by people smugglers in Iran. Jan Ghazi waves to his nephew Harris, 16, as he leaves Lunar House in East Croydon Jan Ghazi, (out of shot) greets his brother Haris (centre) who arrived from Calais in Britain Advertisement

The youngsters now face further screening by the Home Office before they are reunited with family members. Some might be housed in specialist accommodation while these safeguarding checks take place, the spokesman said.

A Home Office spokesman said: 'This is the start of the process to transfer as many eligible children as possible before the start of the clearance, as the Home Secretary set out in Parliament.

'The transfer process is not straightforward. We need to make sure the essential checks have been made for their safety and the safety of others.'

It comes after campaigners and faith leaders warned there are many more children left behind at the Jungle camp who also deserve Britain's help.

'We know that at least three children have died trying to get into Britain. Three children who actually had a legal right to be with their families,' said former archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams.

UK Border Force staff escort the first group of unaccompanied 'minors' (pictured in grey hooded tops) to the Home Office HQ in Croydon. Many claim the boys look 'too old' to be teens

Aimal had an emotional reunion with his brother Asif, left, 25, a chef who has lived in the UK for 11 years and is the reason his younger brother qualifies for asylum here

The youngsters (one pictured in a green jacket and another in a red jacket) are the first of dozens of children who are expected to make the same journey across the Channel this week

Many have raised concerns that the 'children' may be adults posing as youngsters to get to Britain. Pictured: One of the group (centre) to arrive into Croydon, south London, yesterday

Speaking to reporters in Croydon in south London, where the teenagers were being processed, he said yesterday: 'I really hope it will be the beginning of some kind of new life experience with none of the horrors they've endured.'

More than 80 unaccompanied children have so far been accepted to Britain under EU asylum law this year, according to the Home Office.

Earlier this year, the government also agreed to accept a limited number of vulnerable refugee children without family ties, but campaigners say that this has yet to be applied.

Charities estimate up to 10,000 migrants from Africa, the Middle East and Asia have settled in the 'Jungle' in the hope of reaching Britain, but French authorities are expected to close it down by the end of the year.

'No child must be left behind in the chaos of demolition,' said Lord Alf Dubs, who fled the Nazis for Britain in 1939 and helped force the change in the law on child refugees.

A Home Office spokeswoman said Britain had agreed to transfer 'as many minors as possible' under EU asylum law before the Calais camp is closed.

She said that those eligible under British law must be looked after while their cases were assessed, adding: 'Work is continuing on both sides of the Channel to ensure this happens as a matter of urgency.'

Supporters welcomed the group's arrival (above) but warned there was still work to be done

Two of the youngsters, one wearing a long-sleeved blue top and another in a dark patterned shirt, are escorted off the bus and taken to the Home Office base in Croydon, south London

A man smiles with one of two unidentified young migrants, one pictured in a black hooded top and jeans and another in a denim jacket, as they arrive in Britain by coach yesterday afternoon

In total more than 140 unaccompanied children have been accepted into the UK under the Dublin Regulation, with more than 80 from France.

Around 300 unaccompanied children with family already in the UK will be brought across the Channel by the end of the week, according to French police.

Police chiefs in Calais said a coach load of children were transferred to Britain yesterday and officials planned to take similar numbers every day this week.

WHAT THE LAW SAYS The law which governs EU asylum claims states migrants should claim asylum in the first EU country reached. However there is a clause which allows minors to apply for asylum in another European country if they already have family living there. Lord Dubs, who came to Britain on the Kindertransport programme for Jewish children fleeing Nazi Germany, brought an amendment to the Immigration Act which was passed in May. This states the UK will take 'vulnerable unaccompanied child refugees' who arrived in the EU before March 20. These child refugees must be travelling on their own and fleeing conflict in their home country. Exceptions also apply to children under 13, girls and orphans. More than 80 unaccompanied children have so far been accepted to Britain under EU asylum law this year, according to the Home Office. It is not yet clear how many children will be accepted from Calais this week, although some figures suggest it will be around 100. Advertisement

A team of British officials were sent to Calais to help French officials speed up the transfer of minors ahead of the demolition.

Under a law known as the Dublin Regulation, children with close relatives in the UK can seek asylum in this country regardless of whether they have sought asylum elsewhere.

A number of other 'at-risk' unaccompanied children are also allowed following the Dubs Amendment to the Immigration Act that was passed in May.

A Home Office spokesman said 'essential checks' have been carried out on these young people, including security checks, verifying their ages and confirming their identities and eligibility to come to the UK.

Chef Asif Khan, 25, said his 14-year-old brother Aimal was among those who arrived yesterday. The brothers have not seen each other for more than a decade after Asif fled their home in Afghanistan.

Asif, who has lived in Britain for 11 years, said he was simply looking forward to giving his little brother a hug.

He said: 'I really appreciate this. My brother was in Calais for the last six months.

'It was a blessing to receive him from there. I'm really happy. His journey was so difficult, it was by walking, by bus to Calais.

'He gets a new life now, because there are many people who died in Calais.'

Other members of the group who arrived in Croydon were taken away in a coach last night for another day of assessment and screening. One man had a chance to embrace his relative through the coach's open window.

The man, Jan Ghazi, 37, from Wallington, south London, said seeing his 16-year-old nephew Haris, who fled his family home in Afghanistan after the Taliban murdered his father, two sisters and a brother, was like a 'dream'.

A brother Haris escaped with was later murdered by people traffickers.

Asif, right, said all he had been thinking about was 'giving his little brother a hug' and that it was a 'blessing' he got out of Calais to the UK

Other migrant children looked delighted as they were seen through a window, pictured, of a Home Office processing centre in Croydon

Mr Ghazi, who arrived in the UK in 2000 unable to speak a word of English but now runs a pizza shop in Wallington, south London, where he lives with his wife and three young children, said: 'I last spoke to him two months ago when he'd arrived at the Calais jungle.

'He was crying on the phone and he said, 'Where is my brother?' I wanted to hug him. I didn't want to tell him his brother was dead, but I had to.'

An estimated 1,000 unaccompanied children are currently living in the Jungle of which around 180 have been identified as having family ties to Britain.

Last week Home Secretary Amber Rudd said she intended to transfer as many children as possible under the Dublin Regulation before the Jungle is cleared.

Children who are eligible to come to the UK under the Dubs Amendment to the Immigration Act 2016 must be supported in France while their cases are considered.

If it is in the best interests of children who meet the Dubs criteria they will be transferred to the UK.

The arrival of the first group of children was welcomed by the charity Citizens UK.

Lord Dubs said: 'In the coming days, Citizens UK's Safe Passage team will be working round the clock to ensure that all children with a legal right to sanctuary in the UK are brought to safety.

'This includes the children eligible under the Dubs amendment, for whom there is still no official process in place. No child must be left behind in the chaos of demolition.'

A boy looks out of the bus window as he arrives at the Home Office in Croydon, south London

A team of British officials were sent to Calais to help French officials speed up the transfer of minors ahead of the demolition of the migrant Jungle camp. Pictured: One of the 'child' migrants who arrived in London yesterday afternoon wearing a blue jacket and grey trousers

He added: 'Looking ahead we must never allow a repeat of Calais.

'The Government must learn lessons from this situation and realise that it has a duty to make the Dublin mechanism work across Europe, as well as establishing a clear procedure for children without family eligible for sanctuary under the Dubs amendment.'

Actress Juliet Stevenson said it was a 'proud moment' for Britain.

She added: 'We did the right thing. The arrival of hundreds of vulnerable children from Calais to the UK in the coming days is in no small part due to the tireless campaigning of community leaders, the hard work of Citizens UK's lawyers, and the Safe Passage team in Calais who have been working to safeguard children for over a year.

The Government has faced criticism over efforts to identify and transfer youngsters. Pictured, some of the unaccompanied children wearing grey tops arriving at the Home Office centre in south London

One young man clapped as he stepped off the bus in London after the journey from Calais. There is no suggestion any of those pictured lied about their age to leave the Jungle for the UK

The children, including this teen wearing a white top and blue trousers, have been moved as the French authorities prepare to demolish the Jungle

Border Force staff were on hand to escort the youngsters, pictured centre in hooded tops, from the coach to the office

'Many children will sleep safely in warm beds tonight but in the coming days we must make sure every last child with a right to sanctuary here is brought to safety.'

Campaigners say they have identified hundreds of children in the camp who have a right to come to the UK, either because they have family ties here under the so-called Dublin regulations, or through the Dubs amendment.

Claims of asylum must normally be made in the first safe country a migrant arrives in - but children can have applications transferred to any country a relative is living in.

The Government has faced criticism over efforts to identify and transfer youngsters through the routes.

The Home Office centre at Lunar House in Croydon, south London, where the migrants arrived

The 'Jungle', pictured, currently has more than 10,000 migrants living in it but French authorities have not yet settled a date for its demolition