Journal article 430 views
Medical, statistical, ethical and human rights considerations in the assessment of age in children and young people subject to immigration control
A Aynsley-Green,
T. J Cole,
H Crawley,
N Lessof,
L. R Boag,
R. M. M Wallace,
Heaven Crawley
British Medical Bulletin, Volume: 102, Issue: 1, Pages: 17 - 42
Swansea University Author: Heaven Crawley
Full text not available from this repository: check for access using links below.
DOI (Published version): 10.1093/bmb/lds014
Abstract
Unprecedented changes in both the scale and the complexity of international migration have led to international concern and controversy over the assessment of age in children and young people subject to immigration control or seeking asylum who say they are children yet have no documents to prove th...
| Published in: | British Medical Bulletin |
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| ISSN: | 0007-1420 1471-8391 |
| Published: |
Oxford
Oxford University Press
2012
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| Online Access: |
Check full text
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa13736 |
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| Abstract: |
Unprecedented changes in both the scale and the complexity of international migration have led to international concern and controversy over the assessment of age in children and young people subject to immigration control or seeking asylum who say they are children yet have no documents to prove their stated age. This article reviews existing medical and statistical evidence on the reliability of medical and non-medical techniques for the assessment of chronological age. There is evidence that medical techniques including X-rays continue to be relied upon in the absence of an alternative approach resulting in legal challenges and uncertainty for children and young people. It is argued that that radiography (X-rays) of bones and teeth, which is increasingly relied upon by immigration authorities, is imprecise, unethical and potentially unlawful, and should not be used for age assessment. Further work is needed to establish a process for age assessment based on a ‘holistic’ multi-disciplinary approach which focuses not on chronological age exclusively but rather on the needs of children and young people subject to immigration control. |
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| Keywords: |
children, asylum, immigration, age assessment, UK |
| College: |
Faculty of Science and Engineering |
| Issue: |
1 |
| Start Page: |
17 |
| End Page: |
42 |