Science & Tech · AI · 2 hrs ago
Report says AI is used across Home Office immigration work
Open Rights Group says the Home Office uses AI across immigration work in the UK, often without public scrutiny.
The group says the tools help detect possible sham marriages, assess asylum seekers’ ages and review phone contents, as well as monitor borders and sort cases.
The report warns that AI can repeat bias and discrimination, especially when used in a system focused on restricting immigration.
Open Rights Group is calling for stricter rules, more transparency and a public register of government AI tools.
The Home Office says trained caseworkers make asylum decisions, and AI only helps them review interview records and policy information.
The department says it monitors the tools and has committed to publishing updated evaluations of their rollout.
An Open Rights Group report says artificial intelligence is being used across Home Office immigration work, including border surveillance and asylum processing.
The report says the tools are being used in tasks ranging from identifying potential sham marriages to assessing asylum seekers’ ages and reviewing phones.
Open Rights Group warns that AI can reproduce bias and discrimination and says its use is shrouded in secrecy.
The Home Office says AI assists human decision-makers and does not make asylum decisions.
The group is calling for stricter regulation, more transparency and a public register of government AI tools.
- Who
- The Home Office and Open Rights Group are central to the story. The report also has cross-party support from MPs Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Pete Wishart and Siân Berry.
- What
- An Open Rights Group report says AI is being used across Home Office immigration work and raises concerns about secrecy, bias and accountability.
- When
- The report was published on 27 October 2026.
- Where
- The United Kingdom, in the Home Office’s immigration work.
- Why
- Open Rights Group says AI can reproduce discrimination and risks affecting vulnerable people, while limited disclosure makes its use difficult to scrutinise.
Open Rights Group
Home Office
AI’s role
Open Rights Group
The group says AI is being used across immigration work, including to prioritise and assess cases.
Home Office
The department says AI assists human decision-makers and does not make decisions on asylum claims.
Transparency and safeguards
Open Rights Group
The group says the Home Office has been reluctant to publish documents explaining AI use and calls for transparency and strict regulation.
Home Office
The department says it monitors the tools and has committed to publishing updated evaluations.
This story does not have a timeline yet.
- Report
- Automated Discrimination: Unpacking the Digital Hostile Environment
- Organisation
- Open Rights Group
- Publication date
- 27 October 2026
- AI tool
- Identify and Prioritise Immigration Cases (Ipic)
- Report support
- Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Pete Wishart and Siân Berry
1 source
What people are saying
Migration is a human phenomenon and experience, not a technical problem that can be fixed by artificial intelligence.
In spite of questions and requests, the Home Office has been reluctant to publish the documents that would explain how AI is used in asylum processing, what the problems are and how they are being addressed.
Asylum decisions are made by trained caseworkers, with AI tools used only to assist in navigating interview records and policy information.