The age of a child has a bearing when the Directorate of Immigration (UDI) processes an application for protection (asylum). The child’s age is also important in relation to his or her rights and obligations in society. If there is doubt about whether a child’s age is correct, the applicant is offered an age examination. The result of the examination is to be assessed along with the other information in the case.
Who are examined to determine their age?
An age examination is an option when the applicant claims to be under 18 years of age, but appears older. We do not carry out an age examination unless there is doubt about the age.
An age examination is voluntary and is to be offered to asylum seekers whose age is in doubt. The UDI determines on a case-to-case basis whether to offer an age examination based on observations by the police and reception centre employees as well as the UDI's own observations from the guardian interview and the asylum interview.
The UDI will normally obtain consent for an age examination before the asylum interview. The provisional guardian must also sign a declaration of consent. We do not carry out age examinations unless we have obtained a declaration of consent.
The immigration authorities cover expenses relating to age examinations for applicants referred by the UDI. The UDI will not cover expenses relating to age examinations carried out on the applicant's own initiative.
How is the age examination carried out?
An X-ray examination is carried out of the applicant’s teeth and carpus. General observations of the applicant made while the asylum application is being processed may also be relevant.
Dental examination
The dental examination is carried out by the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Oslo. A dentist performs a clinical examination of the teeth using a mirror and a probe, and a large dental X-ray is taken. Smaller dental X-rays are sometimes also taken as a supplement.
When the declaration of consent is signed in the first meeting between the UDI, the applicant and the provisional guardian, the UDI will also obtain information about the circumstances under which the applicant grew up, including diet, dental health and medical history. This information is given to the dentist in a separate document, and it forms part of the basis for the dentist's assessment of the applicant’s teeth.
The dentist assesses the applicant’s age using a range of methods, and the main conclusion takes all the results into consideration.
The carpus examination
Ullevål University Hospital carries out carpus examinations that provide information on the applicant’s age based on his/her skeleton.
The doctor takes an X-ray of the applicant's hand and wrist. Since a certain variation in skeletal maturity within each age group and gender is normal, the X-ray will be compared with tables showing skeletal maturity by age and the range of variation for each age group.
Normally, skeletal growth is complete for boys when they reach 19 and for girls when they reach 18 years of age. At that age, all the growth zones in the fingers and wrists will normally have closed and the person will have stopped growing.
Once skeletal growth has ceased, an X-ray examination cannot tell us anything more than that a boy is 19 or older or that a girl is 18 or older.
Medical statement
After the two above-mentioned examinations have been completed, the Children's Clinic at Ullevål University Hospital will analyse all the results.
Based on this analysis, the clinic submits a medical statement about what they assume to be the correct age. In principle, the UDI will only take the Children’s Clinic’s overall conclusion into consideration.
General observation
Everyone who is in contact with the applicant while the asylum application is being processed must report suspicions that the applicant has not given his/her correct age. This applies to, among others, the police who register applicants, the personnel who carry out asylum interviews, reception centre employees and the provisional guardian.
Consequences of age examinations
The result of the age examination is important in our assessment of the asylum application and of the applicant's age. The result of the age examination is considered along with other information in the case, including information provided by the applicant. The result of the age examination is not necessarily the applicant’s ‘correct’ age. The applicant will be given the benefit of the doubt in cases where the age examination concludes that there is doubt as to whether the applicant is a minor or an adult. That means that the applicant will be considered a minor. Applicants who have deliberately given incorrect ages may be expelled from Norway.
The result of the age examination may have a bearing when we evaluate the applicant’s credibility, and when we consider whether the applicant should be placed in an ordinary reception centre or in a reception centre for unaccompanied minors. As a rule, applicants who are assumed to be over 18 years of age will be offered accommodation in reception centres for adults.
An age examination is a voluntary option offered to the applicant. If the applicant does not consent to the dental and carpus examinations, it could have a bearing on the UDI’s assessment when the asylum application is processed.
All asylum cases are considered on an individual basis. Persons who rightfully fear persecution in their home country will be granted asylum even if they have not given the authorities their correct age. If an asylum application is rejected and granting residence on other grounds is an option, the applicant’s young age may be decisive.
