Home Office rules out 'unethical' dental checks for child migrants arriving from Calais

The Home Office has ruled out mandatory dental checks for child migrants arriving from the Calais "Jungle" after the idea was raised by a Conservative MP.

David Davies, the member for Monmouthshire, had suggested that mandatory teeth checks should take place to reassure the public that the migrants were actually children.

The British Dental Association (BDA) quickly moved to reject the proposal saying the "inaccurate" method was "inappropriate" and "unethical".

It is believed that 39 children have arrived from the camp as its impoverished residents prepare for its dismantling later this month.

However, questions have been raised as to whether some of the children, who are being relocated to family members in the UK, may be adults.

The Home Office has said migrants would face different checks once in the UK and the BBC reported that further checks will include interviews with relatives in the UK and fingerprinting to cross-check with other records which may contain age details.

"We do not use dental X-rays to confirm the ages of those seeking asylum in the UK. The British Dental Association has described them as inaccurate, inappropriate and unethical," the Home Office said.

The news comes as figures revealed that from the year ending in June 2016, 1,060 asylum applicants' ages were called into question, 933 of whom underwent age assessment tests with 636 (68%) deemed to be over 18.

Additional Home Office data shows that from January 2006 to June 2016, 11,847 applicants were assessed for their age, 5,278 of whom (45%) were found to be over 18.

A BDA spokesperson said: "X-rays taken for a clinically justified reason must not be used for another purpose without the patient's informed consent, without coercion and in full knowledge of how the radiograph will be used and by whom."

Doctors of the World (DOTW) also condemned Davies' comments and called for him to be disciplined. Leigh Daynes, DOTW Executive Director, said: "It's as unethical as it is inappropriate to expect healthcare workers to conduct tests on patients for immigration enforcement purposes."

Officials can make judgements on age based on their "physical appearance and demeanour" if the child has no documents to prove their age.

A Home Office spokesman said: "We work closely with the French authorities and their partner agencies to ensure all those who come to the UK from the camps in Calais are eligible under the Dublin regulations.

"All individuals are referred to the UK authorities by the France terre d'asile (FTDA) and are then interviewed by French and UK officials.

"Where credible and clear documentary evidence of age is not available, criteria including physical appearance and demeanour are used as part of the interview process to assess age."

Questions over child migrants

The BBC noted that one of the alleged child migrant pictured in the Sun newspaper looked "40 with crow's feet around his eyes." However Citizens UK said it was thought that the picture was that of a translator who was accompanying the children.

Vanessa Cowan, a British Red Cross charity worker, who travelled with 14 of the migrant children insisted that they were "small boys" who seemed "quite young."

"The perspective of the pictures or just the way the picture is taken could be deceiving and the boys that be brought were small boys," she said.