Home Office to launch age estimation tech on undocumented asylum seekers

The Home Office is planning to introduce artificial intelligence (AI) facial recognition technology (FRT) to estimate the age of asylum seekers who claim to be children but lack verifiable identity documents. An IT firm based in Harlow, Akhter Computers, has secured a £322,000 contract to supply the predictive algorithm, with German company Cognitec listed as a sub-contractor. The AI-powered FRT system is to be deployed in 2027 following rigorous testing, supplementing existing age estimation techniques. 

In the year to March 2026, initial age assessments were conducted on 6,420 people, of whom 43% were found to be adults. However, these decisions are frequently challenged, and 17% of those initially deemed adults in the second half of 2025 were later confirmed to be children.

The technology aims to prevent adult migrants from exploiting the system and diverting resources from children at risk. The rollout follows an independent inspector's report highlighting inadequate staff training at the Dover reception centre and noting that errors are inevitable without a foolproof chronological age test. Early trials of the AI system have reportedly demonstrated encouraging levels of accuracy.

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