Asylum gene test slammed; SCIENCE.BRITAIN is using genetic tests on some African asylum-seekers in a bid to catch those who are lying about their country of origin. The tests, also used to determine if children brought in are related to the asylum-seekers, have provoked pro·voke tr.v. pro·voked, pro·vok·ing, pro·vokes 1. To incite to anger or resentment. 2. To stir to action or feeling. 3. To give rise to; evoke: provoke laughter. outrage from human rights groups. The United Kingdom Border Agency, who launched the project in September, say Britain is the only country using gene swabs this way. So far, the tests have been carried out on people claiming to be from Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Uganda and Sudan The Government argues that the voluntary tests can provide valuable evidence of origin. But experts say the science is "fundamentally flawed flaw 1 n. 1. An imperfection, often concealed, that impairs soundness: a flaw in the crystal that caused it to shatter. See Synonyms at blemish. 2. ". Sir Alec Jeffreys Sir Alec John Jeffreys, FRS (born 9 January 1950 at Oxford in Oxfordshire) is a British geneticist, who developed techniques for DNA fingerprinting and DNA profiling. Biography , a geneticist ge·net·i·cist n. A specialist in genetics. geneticist a specialist in genetics. geneticist at Leicester University, said: "Genes are not aware of national borders." |
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