Greece begins age tests on migrants claiming to be minors
In a post on social media, Plevris said the examinations were carried out under a joint ministerial decision introduced in August, which established new medical and psychosocial procedures for verifying the age of asylum seekers.
According to the minister, the first round of tests involved more than 100 individuals suspected of falsely declaring themselves as minors. “Of the first 104 suspected cases examined, 59 were found to be adults. The consequences for those who made false declarations are self-evident,” Plevris said.
A joint statement issued by the Ministries of Migration and Asylum and Education explained that age determination is based on a combination of medical assessment, psychosocial evaluation, and an X-ray of the left wrist or hand to determine bone age. In cases where the results differ, the X-ray findings are considered decisive.
The move marks Greece’s first implementation of the new verification framework, aimed at ensuring accurate age assessment amid rising numbers of asylum applications involving unaccompanied minors, according to Kathimerini and other local media reports.
