Test age of the child migrants
Straw calls for checks as third coachload arrives from Channel port
JACK Straw last night led demands for age tests on child refugees brought to Britain.
He warned the row over whether they were really adults risked undermining public confidence in the asylum system.
The Home Office yesterday refused to order dental checks on the arrivals, saying it would be unethical and intrusive. But Mr Straw insisted he would never have ruled out using such tests when he was Home Secretary under Tony Blair.
Tory MP David Davies also called for dental checks, which are common practice in other countries.
A third coachload of young refugees arrived from Calais yesterday, including several who again appeared older than typical teenagers. They included the youth who singer Lily Allen tearfully apologised to ‘on behalf of Britain’. As debate raged over the migrants, it emerged that:
16 EU countries have used dental checks to help determine ages of asylum seekers or refugees;
Officials are dishing out arbitrary dates of birth because genuine ages are impossible to verify;
Foster carers said dentists routinely turned away ‘child’ migrants – because they could tell
‘We need to be quite hard-nosed here’
they were adults. Mr Straw said: ‘Officials made a judgment, we have to accept that judgment, but if there is a case for dental checks, I would certainly not as Home Secretary have ruled that out.
‘What I would say to those supporting an increase in numbers of refugees to come here is this: if it turns out those coming in here are over 18 – and the truth will emerge after a while – then it will undermine public confidence in the whole system.
‘So having tests, providing they are not too intrusive and invasive, is actually a sensible thing to do for everyone concerned.
‘Most of them are economic migrants and you have to be pretty firm about this.
‘Part of the problem with the issue of whether they are children is you have got to test their age because you will understandably always get quite a lot of people who, knowing that it’s easier to get in because they are younger, will pretend they are under 18 when they are not.
‘Some of those who are at Calais are genuine refugees but an awful lot are economic migrants.’
Home Office staff simply interview applicants, assessing age using criteria including physical appearance and demeanour.
The ministry admits it is able to carry out only limited checks before the migrants are allowed in. Officials cannot even fingerprint them because it contravenes French law.
The calls for dental checks intensified yesterday following the latest arrivals. Mr Davies said: ‘Someone who is willing to throw themselves on to an electrified rail line or jump into a moving lorry isn’t going to be terribly worried about having an X-ray.’ He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: ‘We must not be naive about this – it’s no good Lily Allen turning up with tears in her eyes and all the rest of it, we need to be quite hard-nosed here.’
Dental experts claimed X-rays were not accurate enough because they carried a margin of error of two or three years.
But critics said they would still show whether a ‘child’ migrant was really in their twenties, as suggested by some of the photographs showing them arriving over the past few days. However, citing guidance from the Dental Medical Association, Home Office minister Lady Williams said tests of teeth were ‘inaccurate, inappropriate and unethical’.
A spokesman said: ‘It’s not only an inaccurate method for assessing age, but it is both inappropriate and unethical to take radiographs of people when there is no health benefit for them.’
One of the child migrants, wearing a blue hoodie, appeared to have crow’s feet around his eyes and stubble on his chin. There is no information about his background, but even his fellow Afghan migrants suggested he might be older than a child. Aemal Khan, 14, who arrived in the UK on Monday, said: ‘In my opinion, he looks 22. I think the Government should bring only children into the UK. The people who are over age should be ashamed to pretend they are children and come to the UK, because there are a lot of children who are really small and need help.’
Foster carers – tasked with looking after the arrivals in their own homes – confirmed the system was not working.
One named Janet, who spoke to the BBC yesterday, said of an Afghan boy: ‘I took him to the dentist, and he questioned it and said, “How old did you say he was?” and I said 14. He shook his head and said “21, 22 at the least”.’
Yesterday a dozen more migrants were bussed in from Calais – following 28 earlier in the week – and were met with applause and balloons outside the Home Office processing centre in Croydon, south London.
Vanessa Cowan, of the British Red Cross, dismissed suggestions they could be adults, saying: ‘The perspective of the pictures or just the way the picture is taken could be deceiving.’
Comment – Page 16