As part of a wider modernisation of electronic monitoring, the Home Office on 15 June published an Equality Impact Assessment confirming it will start using lighter “non-fitted” GPS devices – essentially handheld or wearable units that verify identity via fingerprint scan – for certain migrants on immigration bail. The move responds to criticism that ankle-worn tags are intrusive, medically unsuitable for some users and can stigmatise people who pose little public-safety risk. Under the new approach, high-risk foreign national offenders will continue to wear 24/7 ankle tags. Lower-risk individuals who consistently comply with bail conditions can be migrated to the new devices, which pair location tracking with periodic biometric checks. The document also notes that vulnerable cohorts (pregnant women, those with skin conditions or mobility issues) may be offered the alternative immediately. Technically, the upgrade draws on equipment already procured by the Ministry of Justice and used in the criminal-justice system, bringing immigration enforcement onto the same platform and creating economies of scale. Data collected will feed into the ATLAS immigration database, with strict Data Protection Impact Assessments in place. For businesses employing staff whose immigration status is being resolved (for example, pending asylum appeals or post-study work transitions), the shift should reduce the visibility – and HR management sensitivities – associated with ankle tags. However, employees must still perform regular fingerprint check-ins, meaning mobility managers should allow flexibility in work schedules and ensure reliable smartphone connectivity when staff travel. Civil-society groups largely welcome the less invasive technology but caution that monitoring, fitted or not, can still affect mental health and limit movement across the UK if curfews are imposed. Duty-of-care policies should therefore include mental-wellbeing support for monitored workers.
Source: Home Office
