Ethical Dilemma Resolved As Home Secretary Backs Down On Asylum X-rays
- Details
- Published: Tuesday, 19 October 2021 07:49
- Written by Chris Tapper
- Hits: 2416
It appears that Priti Patel’s threat to use dental X-rays to establish the age of asylum seekers has been shelved.
The Home Secretary’s reversal was welcomed by the British Dental Association which in July, urged Ms Patel to “Think again on plans to introduce dental checks to establish the age of Channel migrants.”
The Guardian said last week that reports had claimed that officials hoped to “Take X-rays of forearm bones, which are said to be the most accurate method to estimate the maturity of a child’s skeletal system.”
“Officials claim it would bring Britain into line with other EU countries and the US, which use similar methods, including dental X-rays, to check migrants’ ages,” the Guardian said.
“But previous proposals to use dental X-rays to verify the age of migrants have provoked an outcry from doctors and dentists who say they are inaccurate and that it is unethical to take radiographs of people without a health benefit.”
BDA News said yesterday “The Association has been campaigning against the rollout of dental age checks for migrants, working closely with the Refugee Council, alongside other healthcare bodies and opposition health and home teams.”
The Home Secretary’s original proposals caused disquiet among dental professionals and the backdown was welcomed on Twitter. Many were concerned at the ethical dilemma practitioners could face if they were involved in the interpretation of radiographic evidence.
Pleased that dentists will no longer be asked to be involved in this unethical practice. Not that the alternative is any better. Does IRMER legislation not apply here? https://t.co/ttyJpOG26z
— Shareena Ilyas (@ImShareena) October 17, 2021
Conservative MP David Davies first called for child refugees arriving from Calais to have their teeth checked after questions were raised about their ages, in 2016.
At the time, iNews reported “Dental X-rays are the most likely method to be used for an age assessment although Mr Davies did not specify what sort of ‘teeth check’ he was referring to.”
The Guardian said last week “The nationality and borders bill would give the government the power to use “scientifically verifiable” measurements of bones or take DNA samples to check the age of people who are seeking to live in the UK.”
The government was also said to be also considering using DNA methylation to estimate the age of claimants. But GDPUK found a study in 2011 showed that the method could only age individuals with an average accuracy of 5.2 years.
BDA News said yesterday “It is expected government amendments to the Nationality and Borders Bill will still give significant latitude to the Home Office to define in due course what constitutes ‘robust’ and ‘scientific methods’ of age assessment.”
“On that basis the BDA will continue to seek amendments to the Bill to rule out radiographic tests.”
“The Association has vigorously opposed the use of dental X-rays to determine whether asylum seekers have reached the age of 18, stressing they are an inaccurate method for assessing age.”
The BDA said it believed that exposing people to radiation when there was no health benefit to them was ‘inappropriate and unethical.’
“X-rays taken for a clinically justified reason must not be used for another purpose without the patient’s informed consent and must be carried out without coercion and in full knowledge of how the radiograph will be used and by whom,’ BDA News said.
BDA Chair Dr Eddie Crouch told BDA News “It’s welcome news that Ministers appear to have ruled out dental checks on migrants that fail basic tests on accuracy and ethics.”
“However, new laws will still give the government power to define what constitutes a ‘robust’ measure of age. Dentists do not want to see pseudoscience make a return via the back door.”
Priti Patel’s recent threat to use dental x-rays was contrary to the decision by the UK Home Office, in October 2016 when it ruled out dental x-ray checks to verify the age of Calais refugees arriving in Britain. The Home Secretary at that time was Amber Rudd.
The Guardian reported that the Home Office itself criticised the dental x-ray checks as “Inaccurate, inappropriate and unethical.”
‘The official rejection of the demand from Conservative backbenchers was welcomed by the British Dental Association, which had earlier condemned the proposal as inappropriate and inaccurate,” the Guardian said.
“We do not use dental x-rays to confirm the ages of those seeking asylum in the UK,” said a Home Office spokesperson.
In September 2017 the Council of Europe’s Children’s Rights Division reported on the practices, procedures and methods for the assessment of the age of unaccompanied children across Europe.
The report expressed unease about the use of medical assessments to ascertain individuals’ ages.
[//www.flickr.com/photos/14214150@N02/28273511046">"Rt Hon Priti Patel MP" by //www.flickr.com/photos/14214150@N02">DFID - UK Department for International Development is licensed under CC BY 2.0]
[//www.flickr.com/photos/94599716@N06/15731753320">"X-Ray" by //www.flickr.com/photos/94599716@N06">Photographing Travis is licensed under CC BY 2.0]
You need to be logged in to leave comments.
Report