A report published by the Open Rights Group (ORG) alleges that the UK Home Office has integrated artificial intelligence across its immigration and border control operations with minimal public oversight. According to the findings, these AI systems are being utilized for a variety of sensitive tasks, including the detection of potential sham marriages, the assessment of asylum seekers' ages, and the analysis of personal data retrieved from the phones of new arrivals.

Beyond administrative tasks, the report highlights the use of AI in physical border security. This includes the deployment of live facial recognition technology, as well as AI-powered drones and satellite monitoring. The report also notes that AI is being used to summarize asylum interviews and process country policy information, which serves as evidence in legal proceedings.

The ORG characterizes this deployment as a 'digital hostile environment,' suggesting that the automation of these processes reinforces existing immigration policies while operating in near-total secrecy. The report raises concerns regarding the lack of public consultation and the potential for these automated systems to influence life-altering decisions for migrants and asylum seekers. As of now, the Home Office has not issued a detailed public response to the specific claims made in the ORG report regarding the scope or the secretive nature of these technological implementations.