AI will be used to estimate age of asylum seekers from next year - BBC NewsBBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountHomeNewsSportEarthReelWorklifeTravelCultureFutureMusicTVWeatherSoundsMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportEarthReelWorklifeTravelCultureFutureMusicTVWeatherSoundsClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeClimateWorldUS & CanadaUKBusinessTechScienceEntertainment & ArtsHealthMoreIn PicturesBBC VerifyNewsbeatTechAI will be used to estimate age of asylum seekers from next yearImage source, PA MediaByJoshua NevettPolitical reporterPublished29 May 2026, 00:05 BSTUpdated 9 hours agoAn Artificial Intelligence (AI) age estimation tool that aims to detect adult migrants posing as children will be deployed at the UK's borders next year.A software company has been awarded a contract to develop and test the technology, which will estimate a person's age by analysing photographs of them taken at the border.The Home Office says the technology will make it easier to identify adult migrants "attempting to game the system", after initial testing indicated "promising performance and accuracy".But Human Rights Watch urged the government to scrap the scheme, describing it as "unproven technology" that will undermine the protections vulnerable children are entitled to.Unaccompanied child migrants receive support from local councils and are housed in the care system rather than more traditional asylum accommodation such as hotels.They are entitled to legal protections which can simplify the asylum application system and make it easier to stay in the country for longer.The decision to use the software comes after years of heightened levels of people crossing the English Channel in small boats and claiming asylum at the border.A total of 111,084 people claimed asylum in the UK in the year ending June 2025, 14% more than in the previous year.In the year ending March 2026, more than 6,400 migrants claiming to be children were age assessed at the border, with 43% found to be adults, according to Home Office data.A report, external carried out by the UK government's independent immigration inspector last year found cases where adult migrants had been classified as children - and cases where child migrants had been wrongly classified as adults.The report said in the absence of a "foolproof" test, it was "inevitable that some age assessments will be wrong, which is clearly a cause for concern, especially where a child is denied the rights and protections to which they are entitled".The government announced plans to use AI facial estimation technology to combat this problem last year.Since then, the Home Office has been exploring the use of the technology and this week, a new contract was awarded to Harlow-based IT supplier Akhter Computers Ltd to deliver the scheme.The contract will see the technology further tested and developed before being rolled out in mid-2027.The contract will cost £322,000 over three years.Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Alex Norris, said adult migrants "making false age claims have exploited the system and diverted vital support away from children at risk"."That is why we are rolling out AI technology to put a stop to this, ensuring those who game the system are identified, detained and removed without delay, and those who deserve support and protection are given it," Norris said.

Click to expand

Tap the questions below

How many people cross the English Channel in small boats?

Between 1 January and 25 May 2026, a total of 8,565 people crossed the English Channel by small boat from France. This was down by 37% on the same period the previous year.
These crossings have become the most common way for people to be detected entering the UK illegally since 2020.
Nearly all those who arrive by small boat claim asylum. Under international law, this means they are allowed to stay in the country while their asylum application is considered.
Small boat arrivals made up 42% of asylum applications between April 2025 to March 2026.
Boats that arrived in the UK from 26 May 2025 to 25 May 2026 carried an average of 65 people. This has more than doubled since 2021.
Experts say overcrowding in boats makes crossings riskier. At least 84 people died while attempting to cross the Channel in 2024, according to the United Nations (UN).
When looking at the scale of small boats crossings, the number of these arrivals is about 5% of the size of total immigration into the UK from January 2025 to December 2025.
The government has pledged to “smash the gangs” behind these crossings in order to reduce the numbers.

Who is arriving in the UK on small boats?

People from Eritrea accounted for 18% of all arrivals from April 2025 to March 2026.

In the latest figures covering January 2025 to December 2025, at least 2,000 people who arrived by small boat were found to be potential victims of human trafficking or other forms of modern slavery, according to the Home Office.

How else do people stay in the UK without permission?

Another 4,535 people were detected entering the UK without permission via other methods including hiding in vehicles, travelling on ferries or through airports from April 2025 to March 2026. This was down by 22% on the same period the previous year.
There are also individuals who arrive legally, for example via a work or study visa, and then overstay their limit.
The total number of people who live in the UK illegally after arriving legally is not known.

See more key stats on hotels, small boats and asylum

The Home Office has already carried out testing on images of people across different ethnicities and genders, including those that make up the asylum-seeking population, already in its operational system.But test results have not been used for live decisions yet.The technology is expected to be trialled for the first time on live cases of asylum seekers at Western Jet Foil, a processing centre in Dover, next year.Age assessments of asylum seekers are already carried out by border force officials who use methods such as examining documents, appearance and demeanour to make an initial decision on age.The new facial estimation technology will act as an additional tool to support officers at the border when a person's age is in doubt.Social workers undertake assessments on asylum seekers claiming to be children, when their age is disputed by border officials.The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) is warning that the government's plan to use AI in the assessment process will lead to major safeguarding mistakes."Assessing the ages of migrants is a complex process which social workers are best placed to do," said Professor Sam Baron, interim CEO of BASW."This important task should not be open to shortcuts through artificial intelligence, especially as the pitfalls of getting it wrong can lead to major safeguarding risks."Last year, the UK government said it had concluded that the technology was the most "cost-effective option" to assess the age of asylum seekers.But human rights groups have criticised the Home Office's plans to use the technology on children.Anna Bacciarelli, a senior AI researcher at campaign group Human Rights Watch, said: "The government needs to scrap this deeply flawed approach to assessing child refugees. "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. "In addition to subjecting vulnerable children and young people to a dehumanising process that undermines their human rights, we don't actually know if facial age estimation works."She said the technology had been used so far in shops and bars but not refugee processing centres, adding there was "no ethical way to move forward with these plans".Correction: An earlier version of this story said age verification is carried out by trained immigration enforcement officers using X‑rays and MRI scans. The Home Office says it has the power to use these methods but does not currently do so. Related topicsArtificial intelligenceRefugees and asylum seekersHome OfficeMore on this storyLegal bid to block UK-backed French migrant detention centrePublished1 day agoTrack UK's latest migration numbers - net migration, visas, asylum and small boatsPublished3 days agoInside an asylum hotel: 'We're too scared to leave'Published25 August 2025Top stories'Poison seller' who sold toxic chemicals online to people across world admits aiding suicidesPublished1 hour agoNato and EU condemn Russia after drone hits Romanian residential blockPublished1 hour agoExploding rocket casts doubts over Nasa's Moon plansPublished8 hours agoMore to explore'Choreographers are the new DJs': The art of the viral dance routineAre 'heat spikes' becoming more common?'I forgot what it's like to be outside': Intensive care ward opens on rooftopFemale performers tell of sexual harassment at workCalifornia teen wins US spelling bee - but could you compete? Take our quiz'I was raped by a childhood friend - I want others to know what he did''We had to wait seven months to find out how our child died'Hodgkinson ready for 'battle of world records' in LondonNews Daily: Our flagship daily newsletter delivered to your inbox first thingElsewhere on the BBCMichael Caine and Glenda Jackson star in a heart-warming taleA life changing illness and the call that changed everythingA powerful film about the rise and tragic fall of a wrestling familyThe invisible intruder that tormented a family in South ShieldsMost read1Two jailed over fatal 130mph crash in 30 zone 2Child among three dead in tower block fall3Trump holding meeting to make 'final determination' on Iran deal4Sturgeon wishes she had not kept Murrell on as SNP chief executive5Exploding rocket casts doubts over Nasa's Moon plans6'Poison seller' who sold toxic chemicals online to people across world admits aiding suicides7Mum and son jailed for ramming driver after 13-mile chase8No second retrial for men accused of airport brawl9Nato and EU condemn Russia after drone hits Romanian residential block10Badenoch tells Blair not to waste his time calling for Labour to changeBBC News ServicesOn your mobileOn smart speakersGet news alertsContact BBC NewsHomeNewsSportEarthReelWorklifeTravelCultureFutureMusicTVWeatherSoundsTerms of UseAbout the BBCPrivacy PolicyCookiesAccessibility HelpParental GuidanceContact the BBCBBC emails for youAdvertise with usCopyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.

An artificial intelligence age estimation tool is planned for deployment at the UK's borders next year to identify adult migrants who are falsely claiming to be children, following a contract awarded to a software company for development and testing. This technology is intended to assist in identifying individuals who are attempting to exploit the asylum system. The Home Office claims that initial testing demonstrated promising performance and accuracy, with the Minister for Border Security and Asylum stating that the technology will ensure that those who game the system are identified for detention and removal, thereby protecting vital support from being diverted away from vulnerable children.

The deployment of this technology is situated within a context of increased migration across the English Channel, as evidenced by the high number of small boat crossings, which have become a primary route for illegal entry into the UK. Data from the Home Office indicates that in the year ending March 2026, more than six thousand four hundred migrants claiming to be children were assessed at the border, with forty-three percent of these individuals being found to be adults. An independent immigration inspector's report previously highlighted inherent risks, noting that where there is no foolproof testing method, age assessments are inevitably prone to error, which poses significant concerns, particularly when denying legally entitled protections to children.

Concerns regarding the ethical and practical application of this technology have been raised by human rights organizations. Human Rights Watch urged the government to abandon the scheme, describing the approach as relying on unproven technology that could undermine the established protections afforded to vulnerable children. Critics argue that experimenting with such technology to determine legal entitlements is unconscionable, especially as the technology's actual accuracy remains questionable, citing that there is no ethical basis for subjecting vulnerable individuals to dehumanizing processes without certainty.

Furthermore, experts in social work have expressed serious reservations about using artificial intelligence to automate age assessments. Professor Sam Baron, interim CEO of the British Association of Social Workers, warned that assessing the ages of migrants is a highly complex task best suited for social workers, and that relying on artificial intelligence for this function risks causing major safeguarding errors. This aligns with criticisms that the government's decision represents a flawed approach to assessing child refugees.

Although the government has positioned the technology as a cost-effective option for assessing asylum seekers, this position has been heavily criticized. The technology has already undergone testing on images across various ethnicities and genders, though these results have not yet been implemented in live decision-making. The technology is slated for trial on live asylum seekers at the Western Jet Foil processing centre in Dover next year. Separately, migration statistics show that while the small boat crossings have decreased, about two thousand individuals who arrived by small boat between January 2025 and December 2025 were identified as potential victims of human trafficking or modern slavery. Overall, the context of migration involves various entry methods, including small boats and other routes, as well as individuals who arrive legally and subsequently overstay their visas.