One of Iceland’s asylum seekers claiming to be under the age of 18 has refused to submit to an age verification test, and has thus been denied the treatment given to underage refugees.
It is often the case that refugees arriving in a country will have falsified passports, or no identification at all. This naturally makes it difficult to verify basic information about them, such as their age. Refugees under the age of 18 are afforded special treatment by Icelandic authorities.
Vísir reports that six asylum seekers claiming to be under the age of 18 have been asked to submit to an age verification test. The test examines the molars, which are not fully formed until around the age of 18. The examination is done both by eye and with an X-ray.
All of the asylum seekers asked to submit to the age verification test have agreed, except for one. As such, he will no longer be given the special treatment that underage refugees have access to. Instead, his case will be given the same treatment as any other adult seeking asylum in Iceland.
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