The Home Office announced the dental x-ray pilot scheme, which started on 29 March, through a letter emailed to stakeholders the previous evening. The four UK children's commissioners have called for the pilot to be scrapped, warning that the trial could be illegal.
In a letter to the head of asylum at the UK Border Agency (UKBA), Alison Harvey, general secretary of the Immigration Law Practitioners' Association (ILPA), claimed that x-raying children to resolve disputes over their age is "unacceptable", "unethical" and could "constitute assault".
"It has long been established that dental x-rays are not a useful tool in these circumstances nor can they properly, ethically and lawfully be used for such purposes," she said.
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