Concerns over plans for dental X-rays on child migrants arriving in Kent
The Home Office say it's being brought in to stop adults abusing the system
The Home Office is poised to start using dental X-ray technology to assess asylum seekers who claim to be children.
Legal changes coming into force will allow officials to carry out medical scanning to determine a claimant’s age.
The scheme has been proposed by Home Secretary James Cleverly who is looking for commercial operators who will conduct the X-rays.
There have been long-held concerns the system to give refuge to young asylum seekers has been abused by adults.
But some medical professional bodies might refuse to take part over concerns the tests might be a breach of children’s rights.
One body claimed the tests were in danger of being inaccurate and unethical.
Kent County Council (KCC) is under a legal obligation to take in all youngsters arriving on Kent’s beaches on small boats before dispersing a proportion of them to other local authorities under the controversial National Transfer Scheme (NTS).
KCC was locked in a high-profile High Court battle with the Home Office over the effectiveness of the NTS.
The X-ray tests would focus on wisdom teeth which generally emerge in adults between the age of 17 to 25 and scan the development of wrists.
There could also be MRI scans of knees and collarbone which can reveal stages of development peculiar to children or adults.
A spokesman for the Home Office spokesman said: “Scientific methods to assess age enable us to make more informed and consistent decisions to better identify adults attempting to exploit the system by posing as children.
“Our methods are supported by scientific evidence provided by the Age Estimation Science Advisory Committee, and scientific age assessments more generally are already widely used with variations across most of Europe, including Denmark, Norway and Sweden, to determine the age of individuals claiming asylum.”
Currently, age can be determined by tests on behavioural and language studies.
Official figures show that between 2016 and September last year 11,977 cases were carried out, of which 5,651 individuals were revealed to be an adult.
The influential British Dental Association said: “We have vigorously opposed the Home Office’s plans to use dental X-rays to determine whether asylum seekers have reached the age of 18, stressing they are an inaccurate and unethical method for assessing age.”
KCC Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Antony Hook said: “I am all in favour of using science and technology to inform policy and law-making but, in this case, if the British Dental Association is saying these tests are likely to be inaccurate, then we probably shouldn’t be using them.”
The concern was echoed by Lord Alex Carlile who said: “Age assessment techniques must be proportionate and fair.
“If any intrusive measures are to be taken —including dental X-rays — that must be based on proven evidence of scientific reliability, not vague opinions that it might add something.”