BDA vigorously opposes using dental X-rays to determine whether asylum seekers are 18
The British Dental Association (BDA) last week updated its position on the use of dental x-rays to establish the age of young asylum seekers.
Image credit: WikipediaIn a statement published here, the BDA spoke out strongly against the practice, saying: "The BDA is vigorously opposed to the use of dental X-rays to determine whether asylum seekers have reached 18. This is an inaccurate method for assessing age. The BDA also believes that it is inappropriate and unethical to take radiographs of people when there is no health benefit for them. X-rays taken for a clinically-justified reason must not be used for another purpose without the patient's informed consent, without coercion and in full knowledge of how the radiograph will be used and by whom."
According to the Refugee Council, the Home Office does not currently commission dental x-rays, but some local authority social workers have been keen to use them as part of multi-agency assessments of age.
Refugee Council Policy Manager Judith Dennis said: "The experts and evidence are utterly clear on this matter: dental x-rays are an inaccurate and inappropriate method of judging a young person's age. Social workers should instead rely on the expert guidance already available to help them carry out lawful, sensitive and accurate age assessments."
The Refugee Council recommends that social workers should follow the Association of Directors of Children's Services' (ADCS) guidance issued in October 2015 if undertaking an age assessment.
You can read the 67-page guidance here.
The ADCS says that representatives from local and central government, health, the police and a number of non-government organisations collaborated with experienced social workers and practitioners on the guidance.
"We are confident that this practice guidance gives social workers the tools to complete age assessments in a child-friendly way, using best social work practice and ethics and utilising the knowledge of all agencies involved in the life of the child to inform the holistic assessment of a young person's age," the guidance states.
Also of interest recently was a new Handbook on European law relating to the rights of the child by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights published here.
The handbook is designed for non-specialist legal professionals, judges, public prosecutors, child protection authorities, and other practitioners and organisations responsible for ensuring the legal protection of the rights of the child. It explains key jurisprudence, summarising major rulings of both the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).
Chapter 9 deals with migration and asylum.