The UK will deploy live facial-recognition technology to spot visa overstayers and immigration offenders.

Cameras set up at transport hubs, ports and major public events will match captured faces against an authorised watchlist. The system itself does not verify identity or trigger enforcement; instead it alerts trained staff for follow-up.

Trials ran at Holyhead port from November 2025 to February 2026, concentrating on people with deportation orders or immigration-related criminal offences.

Privacy and migrant rights groups have voiced concerns. The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants warns about use in public spaces; the Open Rights Group questions transparency and safeguards against discriminatory outcomes. Amnesty International has highlighted risks of biometric surveillance for mass monitoring and discrimination.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood calls facial-recognition a breakthrough for identifying criminals. The plan excludes people under 18 from watchlists and focuses on immigration or legal status rather than nationality. India remains the largest non-EU source of long-term immigration to the UK.