Tra norme giuridiche e pratiche quotidiane: l’applicazione del protocollo per l’accertamento dell’età dei MSNA.

The outcome of an age assessment is of fundamental importance, as it determines whether the person who has declared themselves to be a minor will be protected by the state and whether they will enjoy the rights enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. In an analytical and comparative perspective, the Italian system for determining the age of unaccompanied foreign minors is dominated by an integrated system that has evolved over time, through the gradual affirmation of principles of due process and a growing focus on respect for the fundamental rights of minors, thanks to the turning point represented by Law No. 47 of 7 April 2017, which qualifies as one of the most advanced and protective at international level, which – in many respects – complies with the lines of action called for by the European Union. The study, presented in the volume, provides an interpretative map of practices rather than a neutral snapshot of them, and thus places itself within the horizon of positioned narratives, aware of its own perspective and the constraints that accompany it. These limitations, far from delegitimising the results that have emerged, reinforce their epistemological positioning, inviting to consider them as starting points for further study, generative hypotheses, and material for discussion, rather than definitive or normatively prescriptive answers. Reflection on age assessment practices, due to their sensitive and constantly evolving nature, requires a pluralistic, patient approach that is willing to question even its own frameworks of meaning.