Recent data disclosures indicate a systemic failure in the age verification of migrant minors, resulting in their placement within adult facilities.

近期披露的數據顯示，移民未成年人的年齡驗證存在系統性失效，導致其被安置於成人設施中。

The empirical data provided by the Helen Bamber Foundation, derived from Freedom of Information requests across 85 local authorities, reveals that 1,504 individuals referred to children's services had previously been classified as adults by the Home Office. In 52 percent of the 1,454 cases where subsequent assessments were conducted, the initial adult designation was overturned. Furthermore, government statistics for the period ending March 2026 indicate that 57 percent of the 6,420 individuals subjected to age evaluations were determined to be children.

由 Helen Bamber 基金會提供、源自 85 個地方當局資訊自由請求的實證數據顯示，在被轉介至兒童服務的 1,504 人中，先前曾被內政部歸類為成人。在 1,454 宗隨後進行評估的個案中，52% 的初步成人認定被推翻。此外，截至 2026 年 3 月的政府統計數據顯示，在 6,420 名接受年齡評估的人員中，57% 被判定為兒童。

Institutional critiques, including those from former Chief Inspector David Bolt, suggest that the reliance on subjective criteria—such as the absence of eye contact—and the alleged exertion of pressure on claimants have compromised the integrity of these assessments. The consequences of these inaccuracies are manifested in the placement of minors within adult prisons, detention centers, and accommodation. Notably, the 'one in, one out' removal scheme to France has affected over 70 individuals whose ages remain disputed, though 26 have since been transitioned to social services. Legal complexities have also emerged, as evidenced by the Crown Prosecution Service's pursuit of a minor for migrant-related offenses despite an age assessment confirming the individual was under 18.

包括前首席視察員 David Bolt 在內的機構批評指出，依賴主觀標準（例如缺乏眼神接觸）以及據稱對申請人施加壓力，已損害了這些評估的公正性。這些錯誤的後果體現於將未成年人安置在成人監獄、拘留中心及住宿設施中。值得注意的是，遣返至法國的「一進一出」計畫影響了 70 多名年齡仍有爭議的人員，儘管其中 26 人隨後已轉交至社會服務機構。法律複雜性亦隨之而來，例如皇家檢察署儘管年齡評估確認該個體未滿 18 歲，仍就移民相關罪行起訴一名未成年人。

In response to these systemic vulnerabilities, the Home Office intends to implement AI-driven facial-recognition technology for age estimation by 2026. While the administration posits that this modernization will enhance border security and efficiency, human rights organizations characterize the transition as an unregulated experiment. The precise stage of integration—whether at the point of arrival via small boats or during the final asylum adjudication—remains unspecified, although the government maintains that local authorities will continue to provide comprehensive assessments in instances of remaining ambiguity.

針對這些系統性漏洞，內政部計畫在 2026 年前實施 AI 驅動的面部識別技術進行年齡估算。雖然政府認為此次現代化將提升邊境安全與效率，但人權組織將此轉型定義為一場缺乏監管的實驗。具體的整合階段——無論是在乘坐小船抵達時，還是在最終的庇護裁定期間——尚未明確，不過政府堅持認為，在仍存在模糊情況時，地方當局將繼續提供全面評估。

The Home Office is transitioning toward automated age estimation following significant data-driven evidence of human error in the classification of migrant children.

在有大量數據證明移民兒童分類存在人為錯誤後，內政部正轉向自動化年齡估算。