The European refugee crisis and biological age: is it right to use skeletal maturity as an estimate of chronological age?

The absence of certified age documentation carried by many refugees seeking sanctuary in Europe has led to countries using biological variables, usually skeletal maturity, to determine chronological age under the rationale that biological maturity is either closely related to chronological age or that it is related closely enough for the small discrepancy or misclassification of those younger than 18 years to be acceptable. However, the discrepancy, no matter how small, has life changing consequences, because it results in the loss of any access to the rights and privileges afforded to children including housing and foster care and may lead to repatriation and continued persecution.