AI will be used to estimate age of asylum seekers from next year
4 hours ago
- #UK immigration
- #asylum policy
- #AI ethics
- The UK will deploy an AI age estimation tool at its borders from next year to identify adult migrants posing as children, with testing set for mid-2027.
- The Home Office awarded a £322,000 contract to Akhter Computers Ltd to develop the technology, claiming promising accuracy after initial testing.
- Human Rights Watch and social workers oppose the plan, calling it unproven and risky, as it could undermine protections for vulnerable children.
- In 2025-2026, over 6,400 migrants claiming to be children were assessed, with 43% found to be adults, highlighting concerns about age misclassification.
- The AI tool will analyze photos as an additional tool to support border officers, with trials planned at Dover's Western Jet Foil processing centre.
- Critics argue age assessment is complex and best done by social workers, warning that AI shortcuts could lead to major safeguarding mistakes.
- The government views AI as a cost-effective option to stop false age claims and ensure support reaches those who genuinely need it.