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A coalition of more than 100 organizations supporting refugee and migrant children has expressed serious concerns over the UK government's plans to introduce artificial intelligence (AI) technology to assess the age of young asylum seekers.
The warning comes after the Home Office announced a new contract to implement AI-powered facial age estimation for asylum seekers whose ages are disputed. The technology is intended to help authorities identify adults who may falsely claim to be children in order to access additional support and protections.
However, a new report by the Refugee and Migrant Children’s Consortium, scheduled for release in June, argues that relying heavily on AI could result in vulnerable children being incorrectly classified as adults. Such mistakes could place minors in adult detention facilities or prisons, exposing them to significant risks.
The report, titled Benchmarks and Borders: The Use of Facial Age Estimation to Assess the Age of Unaccompanied Young People Seeking Asylum, highlights the challenges of accurately assessing the age of young refugees. Researchers note that many asylum-seeking children have experienced trauma, malnutrition, and dangerous journeys before reaching the UK, factors that may affect their physical appearance and make age estimation more difficult.
While the consortium does not oppose the use of AI entirely, it emphasizes that the technology should only serve as a supporting tool rather than replacing comprehensive assessments conducted by trained social workers. The report recommends several safeguards, including access to legal advice, the presence of an appropriate adult during assessments, and the right to challenge decisions.
The organizations also warn against replacing human errors in age assessments with potentially flawed machine-based judgments. According to Home Office data, young asylum seekers are more than twice as likely to be recognized as children when assessed by social workers compared to assessments carried out by immigration officers at the border. More than two-thirds of disputed cases reviewed by social workers were ultimately determined to involve minors.
Government officials argue that stronger measures are needed to prevent adults from falsely claiming to be children and exploiting the asylum system. Border Security and Asylum Minister Alex Norris stated that the technology would help identify individuals making fraudulent age claims while ensuring genuine children receive the support and protection they need.
The Home Office has stressed that AI-generated age estimates will not make final decisions. Instead, immigration officers will continue to have the ultimate authority, and the technology will undergo extensive testing, evaluation, and quality assurance before being rolled out nationwide.
The debate highlights the challenge of balancing immigration enforcement with the need to protect vulnerable children seeking refuge, as policymakers and advocacy groups continue to examine the role of AI in sensitive decision-making processes.
