UK Allows Live Facial Recognition to Trace People Facing Deportation

The UK has introduced a policy allowing immigration officers to use live facial recognition in public places to identify people on approved watchlists for deportation, immigration enforcement or criminal matters. The policy, published by the Home Office in October 2026, says the technology scans faces within a defined area and compares biometric data with pre-approved watchlists. Possible matches must be assessed by officers before action is taken. The Home Office says the measure will support immigration enforcement and public safety. It adds that members of the public are not legally required to cooperate with facial scanning, while the system must be used openly and remain subject to oversight. Separately, the UK has restated post-study visa options for eligible international graduates, including a Graduate visa that permits a stay of at least 18 months after completing an eligible degree.

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