ΑΛΛΗΛΕΓΓΥΗ ΣΤΗΝ ΕΕ: ΕΞΕΛΙΞΕΙΣ ΣΤΟ ΠΕΔΙΟ ΤΗΣ ΠΡΟΣΦΥΓΙΚΗΣ ΠΡΟΣΤΑΣΙΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΠΡΟΚΛΗΣΕΙΣ ΣΤΗΝ ΕΕ ΚΑΙ ΣΤΗΝ ΕΛΛΑΔΑ

216 Unaccompanied minors and the dangers from the administrative practice II. Age assessment and determination of age from the Authorities Article 45(4) L 4375/2016 provides that “The competent Receiving Authorities may, when in doubt, refer unaccompanied minors for age determination examina- tions according to the provisions of the Joint Ministerial Decision 1982/16.2.2016”. Regarding the age assessment procedure, the JMD 1982/2016 11 provides that: « In case of doubt during the asylum procedure, the competent officer informs the Head of the RAO, who shall issue a decision specifically justifying such doubt in order to refer the applicant to a public health institution or an entity regulated by the Ministry of Health, where a pediatrician and psychologist are employed and a social service operates». The successive methods of age assessment are subject of strong reservations and doubts from a legal, medical, psychosocial and moral point of view. Specifically, they are based on the macroscopic characteristics, such as height, weight, body mass index, voice and hair growth, following a clinical examination from a pedia- trician, who will consider body-metric data 12 . The pediatrician shall justify his or her final estimation based on the aforementioned examination data; 13 In case the person’s age cannot be adequately determined through the examina- tion of macroscopic features, following certification by the pediatrician, an as- sessment by the psychologist and the social worker of the structure of the entity will follow in order to evaluate the cognitive, behavioural and psychological de- velopment of the individual and a relevant report will be drafted by them. This procedure will take place in a language understood by the applicant, with the as- sistance of an interpreter, if needed 14 . If no psychologist is employed or there is no functioning social service in the public health institution, this assessment may be conducted by a psychologist and a social worker available from civil society organisations 15 ; Wherever a conclusion cannot be reached after the conduct of the above proce- dure, the following medical examinations will be conducted: left wrist and hand X-rays for the assessment of the skeletal mass , dental examination and pano- 11. Joint Ministerial Decision 1982/2016, Gov. Gazette B’335/16-2-2016. 12. The clinical examination must be carried out with due respect of the person’s dignity, and take into account deviations and variations relating to cultural and racial elements and living conditions that may affect the individual’s development. 13. Article 3 JMD 1982/2016. 14. Article 4 JMD 1982/2016. 15. Article 5 JMD 1982/2016.