UK to deploy AI in assessing age of Asylum Seekers

The UK government is moving to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into its immigration system, with the Border Force set to pilot the use of AI technology to help estimate the age of asylum seekers who claim to be minors.

The Home Office has confirmed that it is exploring advanced digital tools, including AI-based facial and bone structure analysis, to support age assessments amid growing concerns over adults posing as children to gain access to certain protections and accommodation.

The initiative comes as part of wider reforms to the asylum process, particularly in response to an uptick in Channel crossings and a surge in age-disputed cases. According to official figures, more than 1,300 age dispute cases were recorded in 2022 alone, with approximately half of those later found to be adults.

A spokesperson for the Home Office stated: “It is vital we protect genuine children in our care and ensure they are not sharing accommodation or schooling with adults. AI could offer an additional tool to assist trained social workers in making accurate, fair age assessments.”

While the new technology is still undergoing evaluation, officials suggest it will not replace human judgment but complement the existing procedures used by local authorities and social workers.

However, the move has sparked debate among human rights campaigners, immigration lawyers, and child welfare advocates who warn of the ethical and legal pitfalls of relying on AI for such sensitive determinations.

Critics are particularly concerned about potential errors, racial or cultural bias in algorithms, and the lack of transparency over how data will be collected, processed, and stored.

In response, the Home Office insists that any deployment of AI tools will be subject to “strict ethical oversight” and compliance with data protection laws.

Other countries, including Sweden and Germany, have experimented with medical imaging and AI-assisted analysis in similar contexts, though such technologies remain controversial and far from universally adopted.

If successful, the UK’s AI initiative could become part of the wider Points-Based Immigration System and broader technological transformation of the UK border regime post-Brexit.