The UN children's agency is pleading with the Federal Government not to send any of the unaccompanied children who arrived on Christmas Island yesterday onwards to Malaysia.
The Government says 19 of the 55 people on the asylum boat which docked at Christmas Island yesterday are "claiming" to be children.
"There were 36 adults and 19 people who are either clearly minors or who are claiming to be minors. Fourteen are unaccompanied," Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said.
Immigration Department spokesman Sandi Logan on Twitter repeated the Minister's words, saying the asylum seekers "claim" to be under 18 and without parents on the boat.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has warned there can be no blanket exceptions for children under the Malaysian swap deal and says their transfer to Malaysia will be filmed and posted on YouTube as a deterrent.
Mr Logan says officials have started "biodata collection" to begin verifying the asylum seekers' ages and identities.
Adult asylum seekers have in the past claimed to be minors, but age is particularly important for these asylum seekers, because the Government says unaccompanied children will be treated on a "case-by-case" basis under the Malaysian deal.
Norman Gillespie from the United Nations children's agency UNICEF says it is extremely concerning up to 14 unaccompanied children could soon be deported to Malaysia.
"We would be extremely concerned if any unaccompanied minor would indeed be deported in such a way," he said.
"We note that it will be a case-by-case basis and we absolutely depend upon the minister to make the right decision in these instances.
"It has taken the UNHCR two months even to note the deal. Clearly they are concerned and not a signatory. Our concern really begins and ends with the children.
"It is a trauma to come to Australia in this manner. It is an even greater trauma to be then deported. So the welfare of the children is of extreme concern to us."
Coalition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison says the Government has created a Catch-22 situation.
"The problem with this Malaysian agreement is it creates all these sort of diabolical propositions," he said.
"They either send children to Malaysia into a very vulnerable situation or they make an exception - and they only need to make one and the people smugglers will market that as the rule."
The asylum seekers are expected to be taken to Malaysia on Sunday or early next week.
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