Comments on: Why the Errors of the Human Provenance Project Will Echo Beyond the U.K.’s Borders http://www.genomicslawreport.com/index.php/2009/09/29/why-the-errors-of-the-human-provenance-project-will-echo-beyond-the-uks-borders/ News and analysis from the intersection of genomics, personalized medicine and the law Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:02:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Bill James http://www.genomicslawreport.com/index.php/2009/09/29/why-the-errors-of-the-human-provenance-project-will-echo-beyond-the-uks-borders/comment-page-1/#comment-2263 Bill James Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:41:16 +0000 http://www.genomicslawreport.com/?p=1097#comment-2263 I was a UKBA officer dealing with asylum applications for many years. I saw many applicants who claimed to be from the latest site of conflict; they were invariably arrivals from EU countries where they were already resident, either legally or legally but now presenting in an assumed identity. These persons, I must call them "bogus", would be perhaps Nigerians perporting to be Rwandans or even Sudanese, Ghanaians claiming to be from Liberia and Ivoirians who had a story to tell of their life in Congo. It was often possible to filter the falsehoods by means of expert interpreters with knowledge of local dialects but we were frequently faced by aggressive, state funded, legal representatives who, were prepared to drive manifestly unmerited cases as far as possible in order to clog the legitimate processes and acquire precident. DNA is a recognised tool. Anthropology and Archeology in Africa is a respected user of this technology. There are many instances where UK police authorities have employed DNA to identify the deceased victims of crime.The torso of a West African child found in the Thames, I belive was traced to a small area in West Africa by various processes. It is not reasonable for the UK to accept all applicants for asylum at the border without applying a test of Human Provenence where there is reasonable doubt. An applicant who claims to be Sudanese but can recall no details whatsoever of his home country will, under current procedures be released into the community to await the processing of his claim. He will have every opportunity to abscond from contact with the authorities. An expeditious DNA test,establishing him to be a Nigerian and thus engendering his detention whilst his claim is determined will likely result a withdrawal of his claim and a decision to return to the (most often safe EU) country from whence he came. Let us use the technology, properly, fairly and in the interest of the people of the UK who pay for these things. I was a UKBA officer dealing with asylum applications for many years. I saw many applicants who claimed to be from the latest site of conflict; they were invariably arrivals from EU countries where they were already resident, either legally or legally but now presenting in an assumed identity.

These persons, I must call them “bogus”, would be perhaps Nigerians perporting to be Rwandans or even Sudanese, Ghanaians claiming to be from Liberia and Ivoirians who had a story to tell of their life in Congo.

It was often possible to filter the falsehoods by means of expert interpreters with knowledge of local dialects but we were frequently faced by aggressive, state funded, legal representatives who, were prepared to drive manifestly unmerited cases as far as possible in order to clog the legitimate processes and acquire precident.

DNA is a recognised tool. Anthropology and Archeology in Africa is a respected user of this technology. There are many instances where UK police authorities have employed DNA to identify the deceased victims of crime.The torso of a West African child found in the Thames, I belive was traced to a small area in West Africa by various processes.

It is not reasonable for the UK to accept all applicants for asylum at the border without applying a test of Human Provenence where there is reasonable doubt. An applicant who claims to be Sudanese but can recall no details whatsoever of his home country will, under current procedures be released into the community to await the processing of his claim. He will have every opportunity to abscond from contact with the authorities. An expeditious DNA test,establishing him to be a Nigerian and thus engendering his detention whilst his claim is determined will likely result a withdrawal of his claim and a decision to return to the (most often safe EU) country from whence he came.

Let us use the technology, properly, fairly and in the interest of the people of the UK who pay for these things.

]]> By: hautkrebs http://www.genomicslawreport.com/index.php/2009/09/29/why-the-errors-of-the-human-provenance-project-will-echo-beyond-the-uks-borders/comment-page-1/#comment-673 hautkrebs Wed, 30 Sep 2009 06:11:56 +0000 http://www.genomicslawreport.com/?p=1097#comment-673 I think The issues of granting political asylum and the use of genomic data are both politically and socially delicate. So it is especially unfortunate when such hot-button policy issues arise in the context of a project that is scientifically so questionable. I think The issues of granting political asylum and the use of genomic data are both politically and socially delicate. So it is especially unfortunate when such hot-button policy issues arise in the context of a project that is scientifically so questionable.

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