The UK Home Office plans to deploy an AI facial recognition tool next year to verify the ages of asylum seekers at the border, aiming to identify adult migrants posing as children. This decision follows a significant increase in asylum claims, with 111,084 reported in the year ending June 2025, marking a 14% rise from the previous year. Of the over 6,400 migrants assessed for age in the year ending March 2026, 43% were found to be adults. Despite initial tests showing promising accuracy, Human Rights Watch has criticized this unproven technology for potentially undermining protections for vulnerable children, emphasizing that unaccompanied minors are supposed to go through the care system, which offers better safeguards.

Alex Norris: Alex Norris serves as the UK Minister for Border Security and Asylum. He has publicly supported the AI facial recognition initiative, stating it will help identify those making false age claims and ensure support reaches genuine child migrants.
UK Home Office: The UK Home Office is the government department responsible for immigration, border security, and asylum policy. It has awarded a contract to develop and deploy AI facial recognition technology to estimate the age of asylum seekers at UK borders starting next year, aiming to identify adults posing as children.
Akhter Computers Ltd: Akhter Computers Ltd is an IT supplier based in Harlow, UK. It has secured a contract from the Home Office to further test, develop, and roll out the AI age estimation tool at border processing centers like Western Jet Foil in Dover.

`json
{
“Border Processing”: “The technology will serve as an additional tool alongside existing methods like document checks, X-rays, and MRI scans used by trained immigration officers.”,
“Human Rights Concerns”: “Human rights groups have criticized the plans, warning that the unproven technology could undermine protections for vulnerable children.”
}
`