UK Home Office to use AI facial scanning for age verification of asylum seekers claiming to be minors
By
Georgia Rowe
Kettled twice. Extra chewy, extra trustworthy.
Summary
The UK Home Office plans to deploy AI facial scanning technology to estimate the age of asylum seekers who claim to be children. In the year to March 2026, 6,420 people underwent initial age assessments, with 43% found to be adults. The technology aims to address challenges in verifying ages of migrants arriving without documentation, particularly those crossing the English Channel. The article discusses the policy implications, privacy concerns, and the effectiveness of AI-based age estimation tools in immigration contexts.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledThe Home Office is set to begin using AI facial scanning to estimate the age of asylum seekers claiming to be children.
In the year to March 2026, 6,420 people were subject to an initial age assessment – and 43% were found to be adults
Migrants travel in an inflatable boat across the English Channel, bound for Dover on the south coast of England
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