The UK Home Office is preparing to deploy facial recognition technology at public events and transport hubs as part of an immigration crackdown. Policy documents indicate the government has been developing a programme to use live facial recognition cameras for general immigration enforcement, which includes non-criminal immigration offences.
According to the documents, the technology will target individuals subject to removal action, those attempting to re-enter the country unlawfully, and broader immigration-related criminality. The Home Office states that the cameras will locate undocumented individuals to resolve their cases.
The expansion into different service contexts raises important questions concerning the scope of existing regulatory oversight. These questions involve the surveillance camera commissioner and the Information Commissioner's Office, and it is hoped they will be addressed within a forthcoming legislative framework.
