Migrants who claim to be children to raise their chances of being granted asylum in the UK will have to have MRI scans and x-rays to check whether they are lying.
A report by scientific advisers commissioned by the Home Office approved the use of MRI scans of knees and collar bones and x-rays of wisdom teeth, wrists and hands to assess the age of asylum seekers.
However, it said the Home Office should first gain the consent of individuals before biological age assessments. The committee also said that none of the biological methods available could predict age with “precision”. It said that asylum seekers who were asked to undergo the checks should be given “clear information explaining the risks and benefits of biological evaluation”
