RismadarVoice Reporters
November 5, 2026
The United Kingdom government is considering expanding the use of live facial recognition technology to identify individuals wanted for immigration enforcement, raising concerns about privacy, surveillance and potential discrimination.
The proposed expansion, outlined in Home Office policy documents, could allow immigration officers to deploy facial recognition cameras at transport hubs, ports and selected public events.
The technology compares faces captured by cameras with images stored on predetermined watchlists, generating alerts when potential matches are detected.
Under the revised policy, eligible watchlists may include people subject to deportation orders, individuals wanted on immigration-related warrants and those actively sought for removal after breaching immigration conditions.
The plans follow earlier trials at Holyhead port in North Wales between November 2025 and February 2026, which focused primarily on identifying people entering Britain from Ireland in breach of deportation orders or wanted on immigration-related warrants.
Official deployment records show that the technology was tested during several operations at the port.
The Home Office has since expanded its operational guidance to include possible deployments at busy transport locations and events, subject to authorisation and assessments of necessity and proportionality.
Officials argue that the technology could help locate individuals subject to lawful enforcement action while reducing repeated visits to residential properties and workplaces.
However, the proposals have attracted criticism from civil liberties and migrant rights organisations.
The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants and Open Rights Group have raised concerns about privacy, accountability, discriminatory identification and the potential expansion of state surveillance.
Campaigners have also questioned whether existing legal safeguards provide sufficient oversight of facial recognition technology used for immigration purposes.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has defended the wider use of facial recognition in law enforcement, describing it as an important tool for identifying wanted individuals.
However, she has acknowledged the need for clear safeguards to ensure its use remains fair, safe and proportionate.
The government announced further plans on November 4 to strengthen the legal framework governing police use of facial recognition and other biometric technologies.
These include proposals for independent oversight and stronger protections against discrimination.
Under the immigration enforcement policy, individuals younger than 18 are excluded from facial recognition watchlists.
The Home Office also states that possible matches must be reviewed by trained personnel before enforcement action is considered.
Although wider deployment is being developed, the available documents do not establish that facial recognition cameras have been introduced nationwide for routine immigration checks.
