Age testing is particularly relevant when the applicant says that he or she is under 18 but appears to be older than that.
Age testing is voluntary and a test is to be offered to asylum seekers if there is doubt about their age. The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration determines whether an age test is to be offered in each individual case on the basis of observations from the police and reception centre employees and from its own observations.
Age testing will not be carried out unless the asylum seeker confirms in writing that he/she wishes to be tested in this way. Consent for age testing is obtained during the asylum interview and the test is carried out during the following week.
Age tests are not to be offered in cases where there is no doubt about the person’s age.
The immigration authorities pay the cost of the age test for the asylum seekers referred by the UDI. If an asylum seeker has an age test carried out on his or her own initiative, the UDI will not pay for the cost of the test.
There are several types of expertise which can be used by the UDI to assess an asylum seeker’s age:
- determining age on the basis of hand and wrist x-rays
- determining age on the basis of teeth x-rays
In addition general observations made while the asylum seeker’s application is being processed may also be taken into account.
Two separate tests are carried out to estimate the age of asylum seekers who claim to be unaccompanied minors, a wrist examination and a teeth examination. The examinations are carried out in partnership with the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Oslo. there are currently no wrist examinations carried out, and the UDI is working to find a partner who can carry out this examination. Scientific margins of error are taken into account in both examinations.
Wrist examination
An x-ray is taken of the hand including the wrist. Normally there will be variations in skeletal maturity for each age group and sex. The tables used to determine age state normal ranges of variation for each age group.
For boys normal skeletal growth is complete by the age of 19. For girls normal skeletal growth is complete by the age of 18. At this point all the growth zones in the fingers and wrist are closed. Once skeletal growth is complete, an x-ray cannot provide any more detailed information on the applicant’s age, other than that he or she is over 19 (boys) or over 18 (girls).
Teeth examination
Teeth examination is a clinical examination of the teeth using a mirror and a probe. A large x-ray is taken of the teeth. Additional small x-rays may also be required.
The assessment of the applicant’s age on the basis of the teeth examination is based on four different methods. The main conclusion takes into account the results from all the methods. The UDI will act in line with the main conclusion rather than any of the individual results.
When the skeleton is considered to be completely grown, the teeth examination can provide a more useful indication of the applicant’s age.
Where no other information is available on which to base a decision, the result of the age test will be central in assessing an applicant’s application for asylum and his or her age. Information from an age test is assessed together with other information in the case, including that provided by the applicant.
If the results from the wrist and teeth examination conflict, as a rule the lowest assessment of age is that which is used.
In line with the above, there is no conflict between the examinations if the wrist examination shows that the skeleton is completely grown and the teeth examination shows that the applicant is older than 19 for boys/18 for girls.
If the two independent age tests both conclude that the applicant is over 19 for boys/18 for girls, the applicant’s age will be determined as being that set out in the main conclusion of the teeth examination. Even if standard deviation is taken into account, the UDI considers that such results indicate that the applicant is not a minor. The result of an age test does not necessarily express the applicant’s “correct age” but is still a more correct age than that claimed by the applicant.
The result of the age test may be significant in assessing the trustworthiness of the applicant. The result will also be significant in assessing whether the asylum seeker is to be placed in an ordinary reception centre or in a reception centre for unaccompanied minors. Asylum seekers who are assumed to be over 18 will initially be offered accommodation in an ordinary reception centre.
