The United Kingdom 🇬🇧 is making major changes to how it checks the ages of asylum seekers who say they are children. Starting in late 2025, the Home Office will begin testing artificial intelligence (AI) technology to help decide if someone is under 18. This update explains what is changing, who will be affected, when these changes will happen, what actions are needed, and what these changes mean for people with pending applications.
Summary of What Changed
The Home Office announced on July 22, 2025, that it will start using AI-driven facial age estimation as part of the process to check the ages of asylum seekers. This technology uses computers trained on millions of photos of people whose ages are known. The goal is to help officials decide if someone claiming to be a child is likely under 18 or not. If the trial goes well, the UK border system could fully use this technology by 2026.
This is a big shift from the old system, which mostly relied on social workers and sometimes used medical tests like X-rays or MRI scans. The new approach aims to be faster and more consistent, but it has raised concerns about fairness, accuracy, and the impact on children.
Who Is Affected
- Asylum Seekers: Anyone arriving in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 and claiming asylum as a child, especially if they do not have documents to prove their age, will be affected by these changes.
- Local Authorities: Councils and social workers who look after children will need to follow new rules and may use AI tools as part of their age checks.
- Legal Practitioners: Lawyers and advocates working with asylum seekers must understand the new process to protect their clients’ rights.
- Child Welfare Groups: Organizations that support children will watch closely to make sure the new system is fair and safe.
Effective Dates
- AI Trial Start: Late 2025
- Possible Full Integration: 2026, depending on the results of the trial
- Policy Updates: New guidance for Home Office staff was published on June 30 and July 4, 2025, and is now in effect.
Required Actions
- Asylum Seekers: If you claim to be under 18 and your age is doubted, you may be asked to take part in an AI facial age check. You can still refuse scientific age tests (like X-rays) without being treated as an adult.
- Local Authorities: Follow the updated Home Office guidance and be ready to use AI as an extra tool, not as the only way to decide age.
- Legal Practitioners: Stay up to date with the latest guidance and be prepared to challenge decisions if you think the process was unfair.
- Child Welfare Groups: Continue to monitor the impact of these changes and speak up if you see problems.
Background and Why This Is Happening
For years, the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 has struggled to check the ages of asylum seekers who arrive without documents. Some adults have pretended to be children to get better support, while some children have been wrongly treated as adults. The old system, called “Merton-compliant” assessment, relies on social workers and is often slow, inconsistent, and stressful for young people.
In 2022, the Nationality and Borders Act allowed the use of scientific tests like X-rays to help decide age. But many doctors and child welfare groups said these tests were not reliable or ethical. In 2023, the Illegal Migration Act tried to make it easier to treat people as adults if they refused these tests, but this idea was dropped in 2025 after criticism.
Now, the government hopes that artificial intelligence can help make the process faster, cheaper, and more accurate. Dame Angela Eagle, Minister for Border Security and Asylum, told Parliament that AI facial estimation is the “most cost-effective” option after years of research.
How the New AI Age Assessment Will Work
- AI Facial Age Estimation Trial
- Start Date: Late 2025
- Technology: The AI system looks at a person’s face and compares it to millions of photos of people whose ages are known. It then gives an estimate of how old the person is.
- Oversight: The trial will be closely watched. Experts will check if the technology is accurate and fair.
- Integration: If the trial is successful, the system could become a regular part of the UK border process in 2026.
- Age Assessment Process
- Initial Assessment: When someone claims to be a child but officials are not sure, they will be provisionally treated as a child until a decision is made.
- Full Assessment: If there is still doubt, a full assessment will be done by the National Age Assessment Board (NAAB) or local authorities.
- Use of Evidence: All available evidence will be considered, including documents, interviews, social worker opinions, and now AI results. No single method will decide the case.
- Safeguards: The new rules stress that the process must be sensitive to children’s needs and protect vulnerable people.
- Legal and Policy Safeguards
- Refusing Scientific Assessment: Since February 2025, asylum seekers can refuse scientific age tests without being automatically treated as adults.
- Children Act 1989 Compliance: Local authorities must follow their legal duties to protect children, even if they are short on resources. This follows recent court decisions.
Stakeholder Perspectives
- Home Office: The government believes AI will help solve long-standing problems with age checks at the UK border. They say it will save money and make decisions more consistent.
- Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration (ICIBI): The ICIBI recently found that the old system was flawed and not always fair to children. They support improvements but will watch the AI trial closely.
- Child Welfare and Legal Groups: Groups like ECPAT UK, Coram Children’s Legal Centre, and the Helen Bamber Foundation worry that AI and scientific tests could be wrong or unfair. They say social workers should still play the main role in deciding age, and that technology should only help, not replace, human judgment.
- Parliamentary Opposition: Some Members of Parliament say the new system could let adults slip through as children or treat real children as adults. They want more checks and stronger safeguards.
Key Data and Statistics
- NAAB Performance: In its first year, the National Age Assessment Board spent £1.7 million on age checks. In 14% of cases, they found the person was under 18.
- Missing Children: There have been cases where hundreds of unaccompanied children went missing from hotels run by the Home Office. This has led to calls for better protection and oversight.
Implications for Pending Applications
If you are an asylum seeker waiting for your age to be decided, here’s what these changes mean for you:
- If Your Case Is Ongoing: You may be asked to take part in an AI facial age check if your age is in doubt. The results will be one part of the evidence used to decide your case.
- If You Refused Scientific Tests: You cannot be treated as an adult just for refusing X-rays or other scientific tests. This is a change from earlier proposals.
- If You Are a Child: You will be treated as a child until a final decision is made. Local authorities must look after you as required by law.
- If You Are a Legal Representative: You should review the latest Home Office guidance and be ready to challenge any decision you think is unfair or not based on all the evidence.
Practical Guidance and Next Steps
- For Asylum Seekers:
- If you are asked to take part in an AI age check, you can ask questions about how it works and what it means for your case.
- You have the right to refuse scientific tests without being treated as an adult.
- Make sure you have a legal representative or advocate to help you through the process.
- For Local Authorities:
- Follow the updated Home Office guidance, which you can find on the official government website.
- Remember that AI is only one tool. You must still consider all evidence and follow child protection laws.
- For Legal Practitioners:
- Stay up to date with the latest rules and be ready to challenge decisions if you think the process was unfair or relied too much on AI.
- Make sure your clients know their rights, especially about refusing scientific tests.
- For Child Welfare Groups:
- Keep monitoring the impact of the new system and speak up if you see problems.
- Work with local authorities and the Home Office to make sure children are protected.
Future Outlook
The AI trial will run through late 2025 and possibly into 2026. The results will help decide if the technology should be used across the whole UK border system. Parliament is still debating the new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill (2025), which could bring more changes to age assessment rules.
Child welfare groups are expected to keep pushing for strong safeguards and for social workers to stay at the heart of the process. The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration will continue to check if the system is working fairly.
Official Resources
- Home Office Guidance: For the latest rules and procedures, visit the Assessing age for asylum applicants: caseworker guidance – GOV.UK.
- Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration: For reports and updates, see the ICIBI Reports and Publications.
- Child Welfare Contacts:
- ECPAT UK: Laura Durán, Head of Policy ([email protected])
- Helen Bamber Foundation: Kamena Dorling, Director of Policy ([email protected])
What to Watch For
- Trial Results: The government will review how well the AI system works before deciding if it should be used everywhere.
- Parliamentary Debate: The new immigration bill could change the rules again, so keep an eye on news from Parliament.
- Ongoing Advocacy: Child welfare groups and legal advocates will keep pushing for fairness and protection for children.
Conclusion and Takeaways
The United Kingdom 🇬🇧 is moving toward using artificial intelligence at the UK border to help decide the ages of asylum seekers who say they are children. This is a big change aimed at making the process faster and more reliable, but it comes with risks and concerns about fairness and accuracy. The trial will start in late 2025, and if successful, could become a regular part of the asylum process in 2026.
If you are an asylum seeker, local authority worker, lawyer, or advocate, it is important to stay informed about these changes. Make sure you know your rights, follow the latest guidance, and seek help if you have questions or concerns.
As reported by VisaVerge.com, these changes reflect a broader effort to balance border security with the need to protect vulnerable children. The next year will be critical in seeing how well artificial intelligence can support, rather than replace, the careful human judgment needed in these sensitive cases. For the most current information, always check official government resources and stay in touch with trusted legal and child welfare organizations.
Learn Today
AI Facial Age Estimation → Computer technology estimating age by analyzing facial features using data from known-age photos.
Merton-compliant Assessment → The UK’s traditional social worker-led method for assessing asylum seekers’ ages without relying solely on scientific tests.
Nationality and Borders Act 2022 → UK law permitting scientific tests like X-rays for age assessments in asylum cases.
National Age Assessment Board (NAAB) → UK body responsible for conducting full age assessments of asylum seekers when doubts remain.
Child Welfare Groups → Organizations advocating for child protection, ensuring fair treatment in asylum and border procedures.
This Article in a Nutshell
The UK will pilot AI tech in late 2025 to assess asylum seekers’ ages, aiming for speed and accuracy. This complements social work, addressing past system flaws while balancing fairness and child protection. The trial outcome will determine full adoption in 2026, involving key stakeholders and ongoing oversight.
— By VisaVerge.com
