Home Office Uses AI in Asylum Cases Without Public Review
A new report details how artificial intelligence now screens asylum claims, checks phone contents, and monitors borders under a national security shield.
By Riya Zhao ·
The UK Home Office is using artificial intelligence to manage asylum claims and border surveillance, according to a report released Monday by the Open Rights Group. The organization states that the technology is deployed in near-total secrecy, with officials frequently citing national security to block public inquiries.
The report, titled Automated Discrimination: Unpacking the Digital Hostile Environment, lists specific applications of the technology. These include determining the age of asylum seekers, detecting potential sham marriages, and scanning the contents of phones belonging to new arrivals. The department also uses live facial recognition, AI-powered drones, and satellites to monitor borders. An internal tool called Identify and Prioritise Immigration Cases uses algorithms to assess and prioritize individual cases.
The research team gathered information through a mix of limited Home Office publications, freedom of information requests, and questions posed by members of parliament. The findings have received cross-party support from Labour’s Bell Ribeiro-Addy, the Scottish National party’s Pete Wishart, and the Green party’s Siân Berry. The group argues that the technology is not neutral and can replicate existing societal biases, particularly when driven by anti-immigration policies.
Bell Ribeiro-Addy noted that the department has been reluctant to publish documents explaining how the AI is used in asylum processing. He stated that the Home Office has not explained how it will ensure accountability when the tools fail, nor has it justified why vulnerable people should bear the greatest risks.
Sara Alsherif, a programme manager at the Open Rights Group, said migration is a human experience rather than a technical problem. The group is calling for strict regulation to restrict AI use and prevent a wider rollout. They also want a narrower definition of national security and a public register of government AI tools.
A Home Office spokesperson said AI is just one tool used to protect borders and does not replace human decision-makers. The department stated that asylum decisions are made by trained caseworkers, with AI tools used only to assist in navigating interview records and policy information. The spokesperson added that the tools cannot be used in isolation and are regularly monitored through established quality-assurance processes.
The Home Office has committed to publishing updated evaluations on the rollout of these tools. The report urges the government to ban uses of AI that are undemocratic or risk human rights violations, such as the use of ChatGPT tools in asylum applications.
