Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde
Volume 145, Issue 5, 2001, Pages 229-233

Ethically incorrect X-ray age examination of single minor asylum seekers [Ethische tekortkomingen van het leeftijdsonderzoek ter beoordeling van minderjarigheid van alleenstaande asielzoekers] (Review)

Van Ree C.J.* , Schulpen T.W.J.
  • a Gemeentelijke Gezondheidsdien. Noord, Midden-Drenthe, Overcingellaan 19, 9401 LA Assen, Netherlands
  • b Gemeentelijke Gezondheidsdien. Noord, Midden-Drenthe, Overcingellaan 19, 9401 LA Assen, Netherlands

Abstract

Each year tens of thousands of asylum seekers from all over the world come to the Netherlands. Amongst them are minors who come alone. They are eligible for a separate, less severe, admittance procedure than for adults and their under-age children. Because of abuse of this procedure by adults an X-ray age examination of the claviculae and handwrist has been introduced to determine minority. A person who claims to be a minor but appears to be an adult is invited to submit to the examination on a "voluntary" basis. The selection procedure, the informed consent, the voluntariness and the technical aspects of the age measurement suffer from ethical shortcomings. An ethical committee should ensure that the procedures conform to the generally accepted Dutch ethical principles laid down in the Dutch Medical Treatment Act. In addition, the selection of asylum seekers for age determination should be carried out by specialized officials (an alternative would be to subject all single minor asylum seekers to age measurement). The waiting time for age measurement should be reduced to prevent the medial clavicular epiphyseal disc from closing during the waiting time. Age should not be judged on the basis of a partially closed epiphyseal disc, as this is controversial. It is recommended that the age for the single minor asylum seeker regulation be reduced from 18 to 16 years.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

Netherlands Ethics, Medical X ray analysis Clavicle Emigration and Immigration Review Humans wrist bone age age determination Age Determination by Skeleton informed consent bone radiography ethics human adult Refugees Adolescent

Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0035798870&partnerID=40&md5=ffe2c8aeee2f7ef569237c00a8a0015c

ISSN: 00282162
Cited by: 7
Original Language: Dutch