UK to Deploy AI Age-Estimation Tool at Borders Next Year
The Home Office will begin using artificial intelligence to estimate the ages of asylum seekers at UK borders from mid-2027, following a contract award to Harlow-based IT supplier Akhter Computers Ltd this week. The technology analyzes photographs taken at the border to identify adult migrants claiming to be children.
The move comes after years of pressure to address age assessment disputes. In the year ending March 2026, more than 6,400 migrants claiming to be children were assessed at the border, with 43% found to be adults. A government immigration inspector's report last year documented cases where both children and adults were wrongly classified.
The Home Office says the AI tool will make it easier to identify migrants "attempting to game the system." Initial testing showed "promising performance and accuracy," according to the department. The contract costs £322,000 over three years.
Border Force officials currently assess age using documents, appearance, and demeanor. The AI system will function as an additional tool when a person's age is disputed. Social workers then conduct formal assessments if border officials question a claimant's stated age.
Concerns Over Unproven Technology
Human rights organizations and social workers have raised significant objections. Human Rights Watch called the scheme "unproven technology" that undermines protections vulnerable children are entitled to. The group noted the technology has been used in retail and hospitality settings but never in refugee processing.
The British Association of Social Workers warned the approach will cause "major safeguarding mistakes." Professor Sam Baron, interim CEO of BASW, said age assessment is complex work best left to trained professionals. "This important task should not be open to shortcuts through artificial intelligence," he said.
Anna Bacciarelli, a senior AI researcher at Human Rights Watch, said: "Experimenting with unproven technology to determine whether or not a child should be granted protections they desperately need and are legally entitled to is cruel and unconscionable."
Why Age Matters for Asylum Claims
Unaccompanied child migrants receive support from local councils and are housed in the care system. Adults claiming asylum typically stay in hotels or other accommodation. Children also receive legal protections that can simplify asylum applications and extend their right to remain in the country.
The government's independent inspector found that miscategorizing a child as an adult denies them "rights and protections to which they are entitled," calling such errors "a cause for concern."
Broader Context
Asylum claims in the UK reached 111,084 in the year ending June 2025, up 14% from the previous year. The increase follows sustained levels of people crossing the English Channel in small boats.
Minister for Border Security and Asylum Alex Norris said adult migrants making false age claims have "diverted vital support away from children at risk." The government concluded AI was the most "cost-effective option" for age assessment.
The technology will be trialled on live cases at Western Jet Foil, a processing center in Dover, next year. Test results from images of people across different ethnicities and genders have not yet been used for actual decisions.
For government professionals working on immigration policy or public sector AI implementation, understanding both the operational rationale and documented risks of this approach is essential. AI for Government resources and AI Learning Path for Policy Makers cover decision-making frameworks for similar technologies.
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