Exploring the Use of DNA Testing for Family Reunification

Exploring the Use of DNA Testing for Family Reunification
Author: Jackie Taitz
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 42
Release: 2003
Genre:
ISBN: 9780119890181

The increasing trend in cross-border population movements has led many countries to adopt more stringent immigration policies, especially in the requirements for the purposes of family reunification. Since the early 1990's, some countries have begun using DNA technology to test for proof of biological relationships. This paper explores the use of DNA testing in relation to determinations of family reunification and considers some of the ethical ramifications involved.

Exploring the Use of DNA Testing for Family Reunification

Exploring the Use of DNA Testing for Family Reunification
Author: International Organization for Migration
Publisher: International Organization for Migration
Total Pages: 40
Release: 2005
Genre:
ISBN: 9789211036251

Over the past decade, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has received requests from a variety of immigration countries to perform DNA testing as a means of proving family relationship when there is an absence of credible proof of identification. This paper examines the ethical concerns and the legal position with regard to DNA testing and provides a conclusion on the topic. Also included are country reports from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the USA.

Suspect Families

Suspect Families
Author: Torsten Heinemann
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 144
Release: 2016-03-03
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1317048075

Suspect Families is the first book to investigate the social, political, and ethical implications of parental testing for family reunification in immigration cases. Drawing on policy documents, legal frameworks, case study material and interviews with representatives of governmental and non-governmental organisation and immigration authorities, immigration lawyers, geneticists and applicants for family reunification, the book analyses the different political regimes and social arrangements in which DNA analysis is adopted for decision-making on family reunification in three distinct European countries: Austria, Finland and Germany. Interdisciplinary in scope, the book reconstructs the processes, institutional logic and the political and administrative practices of DNA testing from a comparative perspective, combining theoretical conceptualisation with detailed empirical work to explore the central societal, political and ethical issues raised by the use of DNA profiling in the context of immigration policy. A ground-breaking study of the role played by new technologies in migration decisions, Suspect Families will appeal to scholars of sociology, political science, science and technology studies and surveillance studies.

The Lost Family

The Lost Family
Author: Libby Copeland
Publisher: Abrams
Total Pages: 196
Release: 2020-03-03
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1683358937

“A fascinating exploration of the mysteries ignited by DNA genealogy testing—from the intensely personal and concrete to the existential and unsolvable.” —Tana French, New York Times–bestselling author You swab your cheek or spit in a vial, then send it away to a lab somewhere. Weeks later you get a report that might tell you where your ancestors came from or if you carry certain genetic risks. Or, the report could reveal a long-buried family secret that upends your entire sense of identity. Soon a lark becomes an obsession, a relentless drive to find answers to questions at the core of your being, like “Who am I?” and “Where did I come from?” Welcome to the age of home genetic testing. In The Lost Family, journalist Libby Copeland investigates what happens when we embark on a vast social experiment with little understanding of the ramifications. She explores the culture of genealogy buffs, the science of DNA, and the business of companies like Ancestry and 23andMe, all while tracing the story of one woman, her unusual results, and a relentless methodical drive for answers that becomes a thoroughly modern genetic detective story. Gripping and masterfully told, The Lost Family is a spectacular book on a big, timely subject. “An urgently necessary, powerful book that addresses one of the most complex social and bioethical issues of our time.” —Dani Shapiro, New York Times–bestselling author “Before you spit in that vial, read this book.” —The New York Times Book Review “Impeccably researched . . . up-to-the-minute science meets the philosophy of identity in a poignant, engaging debut.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Genetic Testing in Immigration for Family Reunification

Genetic Testing in Immigration for Family Reunification
Author: Llilda Barata
Publisher:
Total Pages: 124
Release: 2012
Genre:
ISBN:

This body of work addresses the ethical, legal and social implications of using genetic testing as part of US immigration procedures for family reunification. Last year, approximately two-thirds of immigrants who came to the US as legal permanent residents were family petitioned under the family reunification provision. Under this provision, a petitioner, who must be a US citizen or permanent resident, petitions to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to bring his or her immediate family members (spouse, children, parents or siblings) to the US. As part of the application process, the petitioner is required to show proof of the alleged family relationships claimed in the petition. This is typically done through documentation (e.g. birth certificates). But when documents are lacking or insufficient, or fraud is suspected, US immigration officials may suggest DNA testing (parentage or sibling testing) as a way to verify family relationships. In the past several years, DNA testing has become more frequent in immigration procedures, but the impact such testing may have on immigrants, their families or their communities is not clear. The objective of this study was to explore the positive and negative effects DNA testing may have on immigrant families, particularly regarding how test results might impact family relationships, social adaptability, and psychological well-being. This study incorporated interviews with immigrant families to (1) understand their experiences with DNA testing, and to (2) learn their opinions about the potential positive and negative effects of using DNA testing to prove alleged family relationships in immigration. Results from this research were used to develop educational materials including (a) an informational brochure for immigrants planning to petition for a family member under family reunification provision, and (b) an ethical "points-to-consider" document to inform policy-makers, immigration lawyers, advocates and immigrant communities about the study findings and the implications of using DNA testing in immigration for family reunification.

Genetic Witness

Genetic Witness
Author: United States. Congress. Office of Technology Assessment
Publisher:
Total Pages: 208
Release: 1990
Genre: Criminal investigation
ISBN:

Genetics and the Unsettled Past

Genetics and the Unsettled Past
Author: Keith Wailoo
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
Total Pages: 371
Release: 2012-03-15
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0813553369

Our genetic markers have come to be regarded as portals to the past. Analysis of these markers is increasingly used to tell the story of human migration; to investigate and judge issues of social membership and kinship; to rewrite history and collective memory; to right past wrongs and to arbitrate legal claims and human rights controversies; and to open new thinking about health and well-being. At the same time, in many societies genetic evidence is being called upon to perform a kind of racially charged cultural work: to repair the racial past and to transform scholarly and popular opinion about the “nature” of identity in the present. Genetics and the Unsettled Past considers the alignment of genetic science with commercial genealogy, with legal and forensic developments, and with pharmaceutical innovation to examine how these trends lend renewed authority to biological understandings of race and history. This unique collection brings together scholars from a wide range of disciplines—biology, history, cultural studies, law, medicine, anthropology, ethnic studies, sociology—to explore the emerging and often contested connections among race, DNA, and history. Written for a general audience, the book’s essays touch upon a variety of topics, including the rise and implications of DNA in genealogy, law, and other fields; the cultural and political uses and misuses of genetic information; the way in which DNA testing is reshaping understandings of group identity for French Canadians, Native Americans, South Africans, and many others within and across cultural and national boundaries; and the sweeping implications of genetics for society today.

Your DNA Guide - the Book

Your DNA Guide - the Book
Author: Diahan Southard
Publisher:
Total Pages: 250
Release: 2020-02-26
Genre: Reference
ISBN: 9781734613902

You don't have to learn everything about genetic genealogy before asking specific questions of your DNA! That's the premise of Diahan Southard's brand new book, Your DNA Guide - the Book, now available for pre-order at a special sale price. Your DNA Guide - the Book is like no other genetic genealogy book on the market. Instead of learning more-than-you-need-to-know in textbook style, you'll choose a specific DNA question to start exploring right away. You'll follow concrete step-by-step plans, learning important DNA concepts--in plain English--as you go. Do you want to learn who your 2X great grandmother is? Turn to page 23. Do you want to know how you are related to one of your DNA matches? Page 37. As you proceed, you check your progress and get new guidance based on your specific results at each stage. (Including troubleshooting, like when your matches just aren't responding or your great-grandparents turn out to be first cousins.) This powerful, hands-on approach is based on Diahan's 20 years of experience in the genetic genealogy industry and especially in the past five years, as she helps clients one-on-one make DNA discoveries. It became clear to her that while each client's situation may be unique, there are patterns in how you can find solutions that you can apply yourself. Your DNA Guide - the Book is for anyone who has taken a DNA test or may want to. It helps genealogists reconstruct family trees. It helps adoptees identify biological relatives. It can help you identify a specific DNA match. In short, it helps anyone explore what their DNA--and their DNA matches--can tell them about their origins.