Home Office faces legal challenge over risk of lone children being sent to Rwanda

Charity says children could be deported as adults before age can be formally determined

The Home Office is being threatened with legal action over concerns thatchildren face being sent to Rwanda because officials wrongly identify them as adults, the Observer can reveal.

With ministers desperate to see flights take off as soon as possible amid a record 181 detected Channel crossings so far this year, the department has been anticipating a flurry oflegal complaints to be triggered asa result of the pledge to deport some asylum seekers to the east African country.