Subjecting migrants to X-rays and MRI scans to check their age is unethical and inaccurate, experts claim

Subjecting migrants to X-rays and MRI scans to assess their age is inaccurate and unethical and risks increasing waiting times on the NHS, radiographers have claimed.

New laws came into force in January allowing the Home Office to use X-rays of wrists and teeth and MRI scans of thighs and collarbones to determine whether a migrant is under 16 years old.

Then Home Secretary Priti Patel described the practice of adult men ‘disguising themselves as children’ as a ‘terrible abuse of our system’ as she announced plans for the new checks in 2022.

She warned that the men used “deceit and deceit” to gain access to children’s services and schools, where they put genuine students “at risk”.

But the Society of Radiographers’ UK Council will today ask delegates at its annual conference in Leeds to oppose the legislation, arguing that the risk of carrying out these scans on migrants far outweighs the threat of an adult child is being treated.

Radiographers typically perform X-rays, MRI and CT scans to diagnose health problems, with shortages of staff and scanners contributing to long NHS waiting times and delays in treatment.

The use of the equipment to assess migrants is controversial, with critics saying the results are inaccurate and the process is unethical and possibly illegal.

The British Dental Association is among those opposing the checks, labeling them as ‘pseudoscience’.

Richard Evans, chief executive of the Society of Radiographers, said: ‘If hundreds of thousands of people are waiting unacceptably long for MRI scans, it is completely irresponsible to take machine time to determine the age of migrants.

‘No radiologist should feel forced to perform these scans during the clinical period.

The manifesto ‘The Society of Radiographers’ calls on all political parties to ensure safe services for patients and staff in all areas of radiography.

‘This new legislation risks jeopardizing the safety of the migrants being scanned and the care given to other NHS patients.

‘It is nothing more than a measure that makes headlines. There are every moral reason to object – and also serious legal, ethical and health reasons to object.”

Radiographers typically perform X-rays, MRI and CT scans to help diagnose health problems, with shortages of staff and scanners contributing to long NHS waiting times and delays in treatment

Explaining why the checks can be pointless, Mr Evans said: ‘An X-ray of a child’s wrist can be used to accurately assess age up to puberty. After puberty this is unlikely to be true.’

Wisdom teeth usually erupt between the ages of 17 and 25, and immigrants may receive a dental X-ray to determine if they have erupted.

But again, Mr Evans said this isn’t a foolproof measure either, adding: ‘Some people get their wisdom teeth much later than others. But in some people the wisdom teeth don’t come in at all.’

Under British law, even low doses of ionizing radiation are prohibited without the patient’s consent.

Mr Evans said: ‘The Society of Radiographers opposes the scanning of migrants because it trivialises exposure to ionizing radiation, because issues around consent have not been properly explored and because we are not convinced that there is proper legal regulation of exposure to radiation will come.’

Although the use of MRI scans to assess age does not involve ionizing radiation, consent issues remain.

There are also additional risks associated with very high magnetic fields used in MRI environments.

For example, scanning someone with metal in their body could injure that person and damage the scanning equipment.

The Home Office has previously said that in two-thirds of age dispute cases it has been found that the person claiming to be a child is actually over 18.