Greece to conduct bone age tests for asylum seekers claiming to be minors
Greece
Sat, 23 Aug 2025 10:52 GMT
Greece’s Ministry of Migration and Asylum, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, has decided to introduce bone age assessments for asylum seekers who claim to be under 18.
In a joint statement, the Migration and Asylum Ministry said the measure aims to ensure transparency and clarity in the asylum process. “At any stage of the asylum application procedure, if authorities have doubts regarding whether an applicant is a minor, an age assessment will be initiated,” the statement read.
According to the decision, applicants declaring themselves to be minors will undergo a medical examination of their physical development, a psychosocial assessment by a specialist, and an X-ray of the left wrist to determine bone age.
The government emphasized that the process is designed to verify applicants’ true age and prevent misuse of protections afforded to minors within the asylum system.
