AI facial recognition to estimate age of asylum seekers posing as children
The Home Office in the UK plans to use AI facial recognition technology to estimate the ages of asylum seekers claiming to be children. A contract worth £322,000 has been awarded to Akhter Computers to develop an algorithm for this purpose. This technology aims to improve the accuracy of age assessments, which are crucial for determining the treatment of unaccompanied minors in the asylum process.
- ▪The AI technology will be used for individuals without verifiable identity documents.
- ▪In the past year, 6,420 people underwent initial age assessments, with 43% found to be adults.
- ▪17% of those initially classified as adults were later determined to be children after reassessment.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
NewsUKHome NewsAI facial recognition to estimate age of asylum seekers posing as childrenCurrently, immigration officers conduct age assessments when a claimant's age is disputedChristopher McKeon Friday 29 May 2026 11:06 BSTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":true,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"b2985838","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uk-asylum-seekers-ai-children-b2985838.html","title":"AI to estimate age of asylum seekers posing as children"}}Essex police make arrests in riot gear outside asylum seeker hotelYour support helps us to tell the…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Independent.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from The Independent
