UK drops 'racist' visa streaming system

The UK Home Office halted the use of a secretive algorithm that processed visa applications, which had been accused of containing "entrenched racism." 

In October 2019, advocacy groups, including the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) and Foxglove, launched a legal challenge against the algorithm, arguing that it perpetuated racial discrimination and violated the Equality Act 2010. They highlighted a "feedback loop" where visa rejection rates influenced which nationalities were classified as "suspect," further entrenching bias. 

The suit also alleged that the algorithm was not transparent, and aimed to force the Home Office to explain on what basis the algorithm 'streams' visa applicants. Aside from admitting the existence of a secret list of 'suspect' nationalities, the Home Office had refused to provide meaningful information about how the system worked.

Having insisted the algorithm was used only to allocate applications and that immigration officers ultimately ruled on them, the Home Office announced that it would settle the suit and halt the use of the system until it had been redesigned considering 'issues around unconscious bias and the use of nationality'. 

The controversy was seen to highlight the broader issues of algorithmic bias in government systems and the need for transparency and accountability in automated decision-making processes.