Reassessing Age Assessment: When the Violence of Age Meets the Violence of the Border

ABSTRACT: Young refugees often lack knowledge or proof of their chronological age. To determine eligibility for child-specific rights, countries use various age assessment methods, criticized for inaccuracy, harm, lack of consent, and ethical violations. However, the core practice of distinguishing refugees by age remains unquestioned. We argue this distinction is ageist, essentialist, and violent, relying on socially constructed stereotypes that reduce refugees to their age while disregarding their diverse experiences, needs, and abilities. Similar issues arise in asylum claims based on sexuality or gender identity, reinforcing national borders and restricting global movement.