YLE News: Finnish police to discontinue age testing of asylum-seekers

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The police has interrupted almost entirely the medical tests to ascertain the true ages of asylum-seekers who claim to be minors, reports the Finnish Broadcasting Company, YLE.
     
According to Deputy Ombudsman Jukka Lindstedt, such medical age determination tests could violate the fundamental rights of asylum-seekers.
      At the beginning of the year, the use of age tests was increased when it turned out that many asylum-seekers had lied about their ages, claiming to be underage while they were actually adults.
      ”Such a test violates a person’s integrity and right to privacy. There are no regulations stating who is entitled to conduct such tests and what kind of methods are allowed. Some regulations are really needed”, outlines the Deputy Ombudsman in his decision.
     
Minister of Migration Astrid Thors (Swedish People’s Party) has taken the view that such tests do not violate the fundamental rights of asylum-seekers, if they are carried out with the applicant’s consent, reports YLE.
      According to the minister, legislation on the age tests is to be drafted already by the autumn.
      In early May, Thors said to Helsingin Sanomat that news about age tests has already begun to spread, which may have reduced the number of asylum-seekers arriving in Finland.
     
Moreover, the processing times of asylum applications have lengthened, and the fact that the use of age testing has come to a halt could lead to even longer handling times. At the same time, the refugee reception centres are likely to become over-crowded.
      In 2008, the number of young asylum-seekers arriving in Finland was 706 - the highest on record.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Processing times of asylum applications drawn out (27.5.2009)
  Up to a third of “underage” asylum seekers prove to be older (5.5.2009)
  Police to get funding for refugees´ age tests (3.2.2009)
  Surge in number of underage asylum seekers (24.11.2008)

Helsingin Sanomat