Over the past three years there has been an increasing number of requests for a new species of medical examination. The request is to give an opinion of the approximate age range, of immigrants mostly from India and Pakistan, but also from the Yemen and the West Indies. What has happened as a rule is that a fictitious date of birth indicating a young age has been written into the passport in order to help find employment on entry into the U.K. and this date of birth has found its way to all other records. Birth certificates if available at all from the immigrant's home country are often vague and of doubtful value, and evidence from relatives is of course likely to be biased. The onus is on the examining doctor in any circumstances to reveal significant illness. This may not appear to be relevant to the purpose of the examination, but it is obviously desirable when any subject is presenting himself for examination, and illnesses are ageing to the appearance. A full insurance-type routine is therefore necessary. Certain features characteristic of increasing age should be looked for. Anyone, lay or medical, will agree that it is impossible to estimate an age with any accuracy, either with the suggested routine, or by any combination of any special tests. However in these cases a decision is required and the reasoned opinion of an experienced doctor after full examination is according to the author the most satisfactory way to resolve the problem.

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forensic medicine immigrant age