The United Kingdom government plans to expand live facial recognition technology to strengthen immigration enforcement and identify individuals who have violated immigration rules.
The development comes as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood seeks to intensify immigration enforcement through increased funding, additional personnel and expanded deportation operations.
The policy documents also suggest that facial recognition could reduce the need for repeated enforcement visits to residential properties and workplaces.
Meanwhile, Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner William Webster has questioned whether existing regulatory arrangements are sufficient to oversee the expanding use of facial recognition across government agencies.
Under the proposed policy, individuals under 18 will not be included on facial recognition watchlists.