The UK Home Office is preparing to expand the use of live Facial recognition (LFR) for immigration enforcement, including deployments at transport hubs and selected public events, according to policy documents and a data protection impact assessment published in October.

The proposed programme would use cameras to identify people the department says are seeking to re-enter the UK unlawfully, are subject to removal action, or are connected to immigration-related crime. The documents also indicate that watchlists could include people who have overstayed a visa or entered the country without permission—civil, rather than criminal, immigration matters.

The Home Office says locating undocumented people through the technology could help resolve their cases while causing less disruption than repeated enforcement visits to homes or workplaces. The documents describe the LFR project as having entered its formal delivery phase, but do not identify specific future deployment locations.

Immigration enforcement conducted three LFR trials at Holyhead port in north Wales between November last year and February. Those trials focused on people travelling from Ireland who were allegedly breaching deportation orders or were wanted over an immigration-related criminal offence. The proposed approach would broaden the potential use of the cameras to proactive deployments at transport hubs and events expected to draw larger crowds.

A Home Office spokesperson said the department was considering further trials and exploring the technology’s potential benefits, implications and future use. The policy states that people under 18 will not be placed on watchlists.

The plans have drawn criticism from civil liberties and migrant rights campaigners, who raised concerns about mass surveillance, possible bias and limited transparency. The Home Office documents say the use of LFR is subject to external oversight. However, biometrics and surveillance camera commissioner William Webster said he had not been consulted and that immigration use of the technology was outside his remit. He warned that its spread across different public services raises questions about the reach of existing oversight.

Sources: The Guardian Technology.