Open Rights Group (ORG), a UK-based organization that says it "campaigns to protect our rights to privacy and free speech online," says automated technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), are increasingly being used in UK immigration enforcement.

According to the organization, AI is being used or trialed across several areas overseen by the Home Office, including asylum interview summaries, immigration case prioritization, age estimation for asylum-seekers and the analysis of mobile phone data. The report also examines border surveillance technologies, including live facial recognition, AI-powered drones and satellites

Their investigation also examines how generative AI could be used in internal decision-making processes in a report titled "Automated Discrimination: Unpacking the Digital Hostile Environment."

The group said it found that the UK's Home Office uses automated systems, for example, to summarize lengthy asylum interview transcripts, raising concerns about potential errors in the asylum process.

It also said asylum cases are automatically sorted and prioritized using internal digital systems and tools.

Read AlsoBritain publishes divisive behavioral guide for migrants on sex, gender and equality

A difference of 23 minutes per case

According to publicly available government information, a 2024 pilot trial of AI technology found that it would "save 23 minutes per case when reviewing interview transcripts," adding that "the tools did not appear to impact negatively or positively on decision quality."

The ORG report, meanwhile, notes that authorities have largely withheld further details about the procurement, accuracy and deployment of these tools, citing national security. The only publicly known information about the technology is that it uses OpenAI's GPT-4 model.

However, an investigation by The Independent newspaper suggests that spot-checks on the use of some of those technologies have revealed "a significant rate of error."

It also found that asylum seekers are not being told if and when AI is used while their claims are being processed.

Read AlsoEnglish Channel: Do asylum law changes and awareness campaigns deter migrant boat crossings?

Migration is 'a human, not a technical, phenomenon'

Independent reviews and watchdog data have previously pointed to instances where AI-generated summaries required substantial corrections, or failed to pass quality checks completely. 

This is why human rights groups have raised multiple concerns regarding the introduction of these digital and, in particular, AI tools, highlighting vulnerabilities in areas including transparency, accountability and potential errors.

Nick Beales of the UK charity Refugee and Migrant Justice said the use of new technology should not "come at the expense of robust and reasoned decision-making" in asylum cases.

He added: "We are therefore concerned about flawed interview records being fed into AI software and producing unreliable decisions that do not account for the real-life circumstances in which these interviews take place."

Read AlsoUK: 'Major changes' to asylum system announced

Legal aid groups, meanwhile, say the report underscores the importance of independently verifying administrative records to ensure that automated errors do not negatively affect asylum applications.

ORG has called for stricter regulatory oversight, independent audits and a public register of all algorithmic and AI tools deployed in the public sector.

"We urgently need transparency, accountability and strict regulation to restrict how AI is used and to prevent its wider rollout," said Sara Alsherif, program manager at Open Rights Group.

She added that migration remains a "human phenomenon and experience, not a technical problem that can be fixed by artificial intelligence."

Read AlsoAre UK migration policies having the desired deterrent effect?

Home Office says it will monitor further roll-out

The UK Home Office has said that artificial intelligence will not replace human judgment in asylum decisions.

A spokesperson stressed that trained caseworkers remain responsible for all final decisions on asylum claims and immigration status, with AI tools used to assist with administrative tasks.

"We regularly monitor the performance of these tools alongside our established quality-assurance processes. All asylum claims continue to be considered on their individual merits by trained decision-makers," the spokesperson said.

The department has also committed to publishing updated evaluations of the tools.

Read AlsoUK Home Secretary signals intention to offer more safe and legal routes to migrants