Minister for Border Security and Asylum (Dame ): In the Immigration White
Paper, published on 12 May, we undertook to improve the
robustness of the age assessment process, including exploring
scientific and technological methods to ensure that adults
entering the asylum or immigration system are not wrongly
identified as children, or vice versa. I wish to update the House
on that work today.
Accurately assessing the age of individuals is an incredibly
complex and difficult task, and the Home Office has spent a
number of years analysing which scientific and technological
methods would best assist the current process, including looking
at the role that Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology can
play. Since coming into office, this Government has commissioned
further tests and analysis to determine the most promising
methods to pursue further.
Based on this work, we have concluded that the most
cost-effective option to pursue is likely to be Facial Age
Estimation, whereby AI technology – trained on millions of images
where an individual's age is verifiable– is able to produce an
age estimate with a known degree of accuracy for an individual
whose age is unknown or disputed
In a situation where those involved in the age assessment process
are unsure whether an individual is aged over or under 18, or do
not accept the age an individual is claiming to be, Facial Age
Estimation offers a potentially rapid and simple means to test
their judgements against the estimates produced by the
technology.
The quality of this technology has improved rapidly, and is
continuing to evolve and improve as it becomes more widely
adopted by online retailers, social media websites and other
companies to conduct online age verification tests.
Early assessments suggest that Facial Age Estimation could
produce workable results much quicker than other potential
methods of scientific or technological age assessment, such as
bone X-rays or MRI scans, but at a fraction of the cost, and with
no requirement for a physical medical procedure or accompanying
medical supervision.
I have therefore commissioned further work to test and trial this
technology, with testing due to begin later this year, and I have
commenced a procurement process which has involved market
engagement with an Invite to Tender to be launched in early
August, so that – subject to the results of further testing and
assurance – Facial Age Estimation could be fully integrated into
the current age assessment system over the course of 2026.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Age Estimation
Science Advisory Committee (AESAC) for the work it has carried
out since 2021 to support the development and analysis of options
in this area. The Home Office will continue to consult closely
with experts in the field as we pursue the Facial Age Estimation
method, and will also maintain an open mind as other techniques
emerge or evolve that could provide an alternative in the future.
I am also today publishing the report of the Independent Chief
Inspector of Borders and Immigration into the Home Office's use
of age assessments, along with the Home Office's response to the
recommendations the Inspector has made. This inspection was
carried out prior to the Home Office reaching its conclusions on
scientific and technological methods to support the age
assessment process, as set out above, and does not therefore take
into account either those conclusions, or the decisions I have
announced today.
