Controversial AI facial age checks to be used on migrants at UK border
Controversial AI facial technology will be used to check the ages of small boat migrants when they arrive at UK borders from next year, the Home Office has announced.
The technology will be used on asylum seekers arriving in Britain at the reception center at Western Jet Foil in Dover, having made the perilous journey across the English Channel.
Experts have questioned whether the technology can accurately account for the aging effect of traumatic journeys and past torture and abuse—experiences that can make people appear older.
Aid organizations and campaigners warned the Home Office that the move amounted to “an experiment on immigrants that would lead to serious, life-changing consequences”.
Independent It was revealed last week that at least 755 children were mistakenly placed in adult accommodation or detention centers last year after authorities concluded they were adults during visual assessments at the border.
The government recently published data for the first time showing how many immigrants were age-assessed and what the results of those assessments were.
It was revealed that 6,420 people had undergone their first age assessment by March 2026; This corresponds to 7 percent of those seeking asylum. Approximately 43 percent of the immigrants, whose ages were evaluated by Ministry of Internal Affairs officials or municipal employees, were determined to be adults, while the remaining 57 percent were children.
According to the data, between July and December 2025, 326 immigrant children were identified as adults before the decision was overturned. 377 people are still waiting for the decision regarding their age.
Adults arriving in the UK are falsely claiming to be children to avoid detention and deportation, the Home Office said, as it announced plans to roll out AI facial prediction technology on Friday.
Artificial intelligence technology will be an “additional tool” in immigration enforcement to assess the age of arriving immigrants, officials said.
A £322,000 contract has been awarded to Akhter Computers Ltd, which will test and develop AI tools before they are fully rolled out in 2027.
Border Security and Asylum Minister Alex Norris said: “For too long, adult migrants making false age claims have abused the system and diverted vital support away from children at risk.
“That’s why we’re deploying AI technology to put an end to this, ensuring that those who game the system are identified, detained and removed without delay, and that those who deserve support and protection are given that right.
“We will continue to do whatever is necessary to ensure the security of our borders.”
Kamena Dorling, policy director at the Helen Bamber Foundation, said: “The government’s proposals to use artificial intelligence (AI) and Facial Age Estimation (FAE) technology to assess the age of unaccompanied children seeking asylum on arrival in the UK are extremely worrying.
“AI cannot account for factors that can significantly affect a young person’s appearance after fleeing conflict and persecution and embarking on dangerous journeys, including trauma, malnutrition, and exhaustion. Current evidence also suggests that AI faces the same problems of bias and inaccuracy as humans in their decision-making, with similar patterns of error.”
He added: “Age assessments must be carried out by trained social workers and urgent changes are needed in the use of visual age assessments at the border to ensure children are not left at risk.”
