The UK government has announced the introduction of artificial intelligence technology to assist immigration officials in identifying adult migrants who falsely claim to be under the age of 18. The new measures are part of a wider strategy to tighten border controls and address what officials describe as an increasing number of age-disputed asylum cases.
According to the Home Office, the AI system will analyze facial characteristics and other biometric markers to assess whether an individual is likely to be an adult. While it will not replace human judgment, the technology will provide supplementary assessments to help social workers and immigration officers make more accurate determinations.
Home Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement, “We are committed to protecting the UK’s asylum system from abuse. AI will allow us to better safeguard genuine child migrants while ensuring that adults are not wrongfully placed in children’s facilities, which poses safeguarding risks.”
In 2023, government data revealed that nearly half of age-disputed asylum claims were found to involve adults misrepresenting themselves as minors. Critics have argued that the current age assessment procedures are inconsistent and leave room for error.
Human rights organizations have raised concerns about the accuracy and ethical implications of using AI in such sensitive determinations. The Refugee Council warned that automated age assessments could lead to wrongful classification and the denial of appropriate protections for vulnerable youths.
“This is a complex and high-stakes issue,” said Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council. “AI tools should not be used to override professional assessments, particularly when they lack transparency about how decisions are made.”
The government insists that the AI will be used only in conjunction with expert human evaluators, and not as a sole basis for any immigration decisions. A pilot program is expected to launch later this year, with full implementation planned for early 2026.
The policy marks the latest in a series of high-tech reforms introduced by the UK to modernize its immigration system, following the controversial Rwanda deportation scheme and new biometric visa checks.