Asylum seekers' ages to be checked using AI tool in bid to curb fake under-18 claims

The Home Office is set to begin using AI facial recognition tests to estimate the age of asylum seekers claiming to be children.

Harlow-based IT company Akhter Computers has been awarded a £322,000 contract to provide "an algorithm that can accurately predict the age of a subject".

It added the Home Office could use the technology to determine the age of people who lack "verifiable identity documents", such as those arriving in the UK on small boats.

The technology is expected to be used alongside existing methods of age estimation, with the Home Office saying it had shown "promising performance and accuracy" in initial tests.

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Unaccompanied children seeking asylum are treated differently to adults, and being under the age of 18 can in some cases have an impact on whether asylum is granted.

Age assessments are currently carried out by immigration officers in cases where the age of an asylum seeker is disputed.

However, a report last year found some staff at the Western Jet Foil reception centre in Dover lacked adequate training.

The report by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration also noted it was "inevitable" some assessments would be wrong "in the absence of a foolproof ‘test' of chronological age".

In the year to March 2026, some 6,420 people were subject to an initial age assessment, seven per cent of all those claiming asylum in the UK, and 43 per cent were found to be adults, however, those decisions can be challenged.

Official figures show 17 per cent of those initially found to be adults in the second half of 2025 were later found to be children, with more awaiting a reassessment.

The Home Office notice lists German company Cognitec as a sub-contractor, with the firm already working with border agencies in Germany and Australia to verify passengers’ identities at airports.

The technology is expected to be brought into use in 2027, with the Home Office saying it will undergo "rigorous" testing beforehand.

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Border security minister Alex Norris said: "For too long, 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."

But the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) urged the Government not to resort to "shortcuts", warning that mistakes in age estimates "can lead to major safeguarding risks".

BASW chief executive Sam Baron said: "Social workers are best placed to determine age as they take a 'whole picture' approach, whereas these other methods put forward by the Government do not."

Mr Baron continued: "A 16-year-old from Syria and an 18-year-old from Syria can look the same to AI, yet a social worker can consider their background and their life so far to identify maturity and the best likelihood of their correct age."

Labour has pledged to slash the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats.

More than 73,000 people have made the journey since the party came to power in 2024, while the Home Office said 42,000 crossings have been prevented in the same period.

So far this year, 8,778 people have made the crossing, down 36 per cent compared to the same point last year.

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