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X-ray tests for asylum seekers will continue next year despite uncertainty

asylum seekers sent outAsylum seekers.Photo: pixabay.com

Controversial X-ray examinations of underage asylum seekers will continue when the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (Folkehelseinstituttet – NIPH) takes over age testing next year.
‘We work on the premise that such investigations will continue. It doesn’t mean that we will continue them in exactly the same way they are practiced today. We will make changes to the specification of uncertainty inherent to these methods.
There is uncertainty in the methods, and it’s the uncertainty we will seek to express in the best manner’, said Truls Simensen, director of the forensic sciences section, tothe newspaper, VG.

They will present their recommendations to The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) in February next year. The controversial tests are performed by X-raying the wrist and teeth.

The use of X-rays to determine age has been under debate for several years. Among others,the Doctor’s Union (Legeforeningen), the Norwegian Red Cross (Røde Kors), Norwegian
People’s Aid (Norsk Folkehjelp), Save the Children Norway (Redd Barna) and the Norwegian Organisation for Asylum Seekers (NOAS) have been critical of radiological assessment.

Doctors that the newspaper, VG, spoke with say that it is difficult to determine the exact age using the X-ray test.

‘When using the X-ray method on the wrist, one is never be able to determine an exact date of birth. At best, one could give an age interval, which must be used with caution’, said Lil-Sofie Ordning, the head of the Children’s radiological union (Barneradiologisk forening)to the newspaper.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today