Human rights groups criticise introduction of X-rays or bone scans to determine ages of asylum seekers
Children seeking asylum in the UK may run away and disappear because of fears of being subjected to X-rays and bone scans to verify their ages, human rights campaigners have said.
In a measure introduced to parliament the Ministry of Justice said it would authorise medical tests to help determine the ages of young asylum seekers. The Home Office will then use the tests, consisting of X-rays of the teeth and wrist bones as well as MRI scans of knees and collar bones, as part of the age assessment process.