The Home Office is introducing AI-powered facial age estimation technology to assess the age of asylum seekers who claim to be children, placing a £322,000 contract with IT supplier Akhter Computers – and with facial recognition specialist Cognitec involved in subcontracting – for an algorithm designed to predict a subject’s age from photographs taken during processing. The system is undergoing further testing and is planned for a rollout in mid-2027, and will be used alongside existing age assessment protocols, particularly for individuals who lack verifiable identity documents.
According to data covering the year to March 2026, 43 per cent of migrants whose age was disputed were found to be adults. Separately, between July and December 2025, 326 migrant children were initially designated as adults before the decision was overturned. Human rights organisations and experts have warned that the AI technology is unproven and risks undermining protections for vulnerable children, raising concerns that trauma, malnutrition or exhaustion could affect a person’s appearance and lead to misclassification. Critics have also pointed to the potential for bias in AI systems and the absence of an independent audit or appeals mechanism for contested age determinations, while a government inspection report has called for improved training and data sharing in the Home Office’s age assessment procedures.
Digital identity: proposals and counterarguments
Alongside the AI age-testing initiative, the government is developing a national digital identity scheme with a phased rollout expected before 15 August 2029. The scheme aims to provide a free, smartphone-based digital ID for all legal residents and employees. A primary stated objective is to curb illegal working by making it mandatory for employers to use the digital ID for “right to work” checks. The government says this is intended to reduce the “pull factors” for illegal migration and deter dangerous journeys. The digital ID would also simplify access to government services such as welfare, childcare and tax records, and could be used for private-sector services such as proving identity to landlords.
The digital ID is expected to contain the holder’s name, date of birth, nationality or residency status, and a photograph for biometric security. The system is being built in-house by the government, leveraging existing initiatives such as GOV.UK One Login and GOV.UK Wallet, and there will be no centralised database of personal information – data will remain with the organisations that currently hold it.
However, the proposal has faced significant public and political backlash. A parliamentary petition against a mandatory digital ID gathered nearly three million signatures. Concerns have been raised about surveillance, data breaches, digital exclusion, and a potential shift in the balance of power towards the state. Critics argue that unscrupulous employers may still not conduct checks regardless of a digital ID, and that the system could exclude those without smartphones or digital literacy. The mandatory element – originally proposed for proving the right to work – was dropped following the backlash, with messaging shifting towards user convenience and improving public services. Nevertheless, some reports indicate it will still be mandatory for “right to work” checks by the end of the current parliamentary term. The UK is drawing on international examples such as Estonia’s eID system and India’s Aadhaar, and its Digital Verification Services trust framework is being developed with international standards in mind.
During a recent debate on GB News, political commentator Andy Williams argued in favour of digital ID, saying: “If we had digital ID cards, there would be a one-stop shop for everybody to demonstrate whether they had a right to be here or not. It wouldn’t solve the problem at the border, but what it would do is make it almost impossible to actually get a job, make money, well, disappear into the shadow economy, which is what so many people are doing once they arrive.”
GB News Breakfast host Stephen Dixon hit back, stating: “That’s simply not the case. Because even at the minute, you’ve got to have a right to rent check done, you’ve got to have a right to work check done. If you’re employing people, you’re not doing those checks anyway, so why are you gonna bother if they’ve got a digital ID?”
Mr Williams acknowledged the point, describing it as a “complex problem”, but maintained that the government needs “smarter technology” to crack down on illegal migration. He added: “When it comes to smarter deployment of technology, I think that’s the right thing to do. I know not everybody will like it, but trust me, it’s going to make your life easier. It works in other countries and we need to think bigger and more radically about the ways in which we can improve people’s lives with technology.”
Government response and broader enforcement context
A Home Office spokesman told GB News: “After record high levels of migration under the previous government, net migration has fallen by 82 per cent. Whilst holding a sponsorship license is no guarantee of a visa, we will never tolerate abuse. That is why we have tightened requirements, including doubling the length of time employers who commit repeat offences are prevented from sponsoring workers. Meanwhile, skilled sponsor revocations are up, more than 100 occupations have been cut from overseas recruitment access and the skilled salary threshold raised.”
Recent figures show net migration in the year ending December 2025 was provisionally estimated at 171,000 – a 48 per cent decrease year-on-year and the lowest level since early 2021. The decline is largely attributed to a drop in non-EU nationals arriving for work-related reasons. The government’s “Plan for Change” aims to tackle illegal migration through stronger border security, international partnerships, faster returns and reforms to legal migration routes, including increased patrols in the English Channel, joint operations with France, and criminalising smuggler adverts. Enforcement against illegal working is also being strengthened, with “right to work” checks extended to gig economy and zero-hour workers, and businesses failing to comply facing significant penalties. The Home Office has increased operational activity, with a rise in illegal working arrests and raids. The UK’s shadow economy, which is estimated to account for a significant portion of GDP and where undocumented workers often go unnoticed, is a target of the digital ID initiative. Mr Williams also argued that the new AI age-testing technology – which will cost £322,000 – is a “very smart use of technology” and “a drop in the ocean compared to the overall amount of money we’re spending”.
