AI Age Estimation Tool To Be Implemented At UK Borders/Image@ BBC
An Artificial Intelligence (AI) age estimation system designed to identify adult migrants masquerading as minors is set to be introduced at the UK’s borders next year.
A contract has been awarded to a software firm tasked with developing and testing this technology, which will evaluate individuals’ ages based on photographs captured at border points.
According to the Home Office, this innovation aims to streamline the identification of adult migrants “attempting to exploit the system,” following initial evaluations that demonstrated “promising accuracy and effectiveness.”
However, Human Rights Watch has called for the cancellation of this initiative, branding it as “unproven technology” that may compromise the protections afforded to vulnerable children.
Unaccompanied child migrants receive essential assistance from local authorities and are placed in the care system instead of conventional asylum accommodations like hotels. They benefit from legal safeguards that can simplify their asylum application processes and facilitate longer stays in the country.
The decision to implement this technology follows a surge in individuals crossing the English Channel in small boats to seek asylum.
In the year ending June 2025, 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK, representing a 14% increase from the previous year.
Data from the Home Office indicates that over 6,400 migrants claiming to be minors underwent age assessments at the border in the year ending March 2026, with 43% ultimately identified as adults.
An independent report by the UK government’s immigration inspector revealed instances where adult migrants were misclassified as children and vice versa.
The report expressed concerns over the lack of a “foolproof” testing method, highlighting that inaccuracies in age assessments are inevitable and could result in children being denied their rightful protections.
Last year, the government announced its intention to utilize AI facial estimation technology to address these challenges. Since then, the Home Office has been exploring its application, culminating in a new contract awarded to Harlow-based IT supplier Akhter Computers Ltd for the implementation of this scheme.
The project is expected to cost £322,000 over three years and will undergo further testing before its rollout in mid-2027.
Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Alex Norris, emphasized that adult migrants making false age claims have exploited the system, diverting crucial resources away from at-risk children.
”That is why we are introducing AI technology to put an end to this, ensuring those who manipulate the system are identified, detained, and removed promptly while providing support and protection to those who deserve it,” Norris stated.
The Home Office has already conducted tests on images representing diverse ethnicities and genders within its operational framework. However, these test results have not yet been applied to live decisions.
The technology is anticipated to be trialed for the first time on actual cases of asylum seekers at the Western Jet Foil processing center in Dover next year.
Age assessments are currently performed by border force officials using methods such as document examination, appearance evaluation, and demeanor analysis to make initial age determinations.
The new facial estimation technology will serve as an additional resource for border officers when there is uncertainty regarding an individual’s age. Social workers will continue to conduct assessments on asylum seekers claiming to be minors when their age is contested by border officials.
The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) is cautioning that the government’s initiative to implement AI in the age assessment process could result in significant safeguarding errors.
”Determining the ages of migrants is a nuanced undertaking that social workers are uniquely qualified to handle,” stated Professor Sam Baron, interim CEO of BASW.
”This critical responsibility should not be subjected to shortcuts via artificial intelligence, particularly since the consequences of inaccuracies can pose serious safeguarding threats.”
Last year, the UK government claimed it had determined that this technology was the most “economical solution” for assessing the ages of asylum seekers.
However, human rights organizations have condemned the Home Office’s intentions to apply this technology to minors.
Anna Bacciarelli, a senior AI researcher at Human Rights Watch, remarked: “The government must abandon this fundamentally flawed strategy for evaluating child refugees.”
”Utilizing untested technology to decide whether a child receives essential protections they are legally entitled to is both cruel and unacceptable.”
She added that while this technology has been employed in retail environments, it has not been trialed in refugee processing facilities, asserting there is “no ethical pathway to proceed with these plans.”
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong