Full Breakdown
UK Government to Pilot AI Facial Age Estimation for Asylum Seekers
6/1/2026, 8:16:02 PM
AI Age-Estimation Pilot and Policy Framework
On 28 May the Home Office signed a £322,000 three-year contract with Akhter Computers Ltd and Cognitec Systems GmbH to develop facial age-estimation software. After 2026 testing, the tool will be piloted at Dover’s Western Jet Foil centre and, if successful, rolled out nationally in mid-2027 as a supplementary aid; final age decisions remain with trained immigration officers.
Asylum Context and Scale
In the year to June 2025 the UK recorded 111,084 asylum claims, a 14 % rise. By March 2026 over 6,400 claimants were age-assessed, with 43 % identified as adults; social workers label >2/3 as minors, while immigration officers record fewer.
Key Actors
Key participants: Minister Alex Norris; the Home Office; contractors Akhter Computers Ltd and Cognitec Systems GmbH; the Refugee and Migrant Children’s Consortium (co-chairs Kamena Dorling, Kama Petruczenko); the British Association of Social Workers (interim CEO Sam Baron); Human Rights Watch researcher Anna Bacciarelli.
Technical Limits and Uncertainties
NIST testing of leading FAE algorithms shows an average error of about 2.5 years at the 16-18 boundary, with higher inaccuracy for female faces and certain ethnicities. The Home Office notes image quality, trauma, malnutrition and other factors can further degrade reliability. While guidance calls the tool advisory, ministerial remarks suggest a more decisive role, and no public performance data exist for the selected algorithms.
Opposition and Concerns
The Refugee and Migrant Children’s Consortium warns trauma and malnutrition can distort facial cues, making AI unreliable. The British Association of Social Workers calls the plan “irresponsible gambling” with safeguarding risks. Human Rights Watch deems the approach “deeply flawed” and “cruel”, arguing it dehumanises vulnerable children.
Verbatim Quotes
“Alex Norris, the Minister for Border Security and Asylum, was quoted by news media as saying: "For too long, adult migrants making false age claims have exploited the system and diverted vital support away from children at risk.” — Alex Norris, Minister for Border Security and Asylum
“There is a real danger that this technology creates a false sense of certainty in decisions that are already extremely difficult to get right.” — Kama Petruczenko, Senior Policy Analyst, Refugee Council
“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.” — Anna Bacciarelli, Senior AI Researcher, Human Rights Watch
Next Steps
The pilot will commence at Dover’s Western Jet Foil centre in 2027. The Home Office says the trial will include safeguards such as legal advice and a right to challenge decisions, while NGOs pledge monitoring and possible legal action.
