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Starting next year/ Britain announces the use of AI at the border, here's what it will be used for

2026-05-29 09:53:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Starting next year/ Britain announces the use of AI at the border, here's

The UK will start using artificial intelligence technology at its borders to identify adult migrants claiming to be minors. A software company has won the contract to develop and test the technology, which will assess people's ages by analysing their photos taken at border crossings.

The British Home Office said the technology would make it easier to identify adult migrants trying to manipulate the system, after initial tests showed promising results and high accuracy. However, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the British government to abandon the project, calling it “unproven technology” that could undermine the rights and legal protections of vulnerable children.

Under British rules, unaccompanied migrants who are considered minors are dealt with through the welfare system rather than the asylum system, which could make it easier for them to stay in the country. The decision to use this technology comes after a steady increase in the number of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats and seeking asylum in the UK.

According to official figures, 111,084 people sought asylum in Britain in the year ending June 2025, a 14% increase on the previous year. Meanwhile, in the period ending March 2026, more than 6,400 migrants claiming to be children were subject to age checks at the border, with 43% of them found to be adults.

A report by Britain's independent immigration inspectorate found cases where adult migrants were classified as children, but also where genuine children were mistakenly identified as adults. The report noted that, in the absence of a "completely foolproof" test, it is inevitable that some age assessments will be inaccurate, which could deny children the rights and protections they are entitled to under the law.

The British government announced plans last year to use artificial intelligence for this purpose, and this week the contract was awarded to Harlow-based Akhter Computers Ltd. The project will cost £322,000 over three years and the technology is expected to be tested in real-world cases at the Western Jet Foil migrant processing centre in Dover next year. /CNA