Book event: Experiments in Automating Immigration Systems - Joe Tomlinson
Location:
Virtual Event
Date/time
Thu 10 March 2022
14:00-15:30
The Edinburgh Centre for International and Global Law welcomes
Dr Joe Tomlinson, Senior Lecturer in Public Law, York University, will present his new co-authored book:
Experiments in Automating Immigration Systems
About the book
In recent years, the United Kingdom's Home Office has started using automated systems to make immigration decisions. These systems promise faster, more accurate, and cheaper decision-making, but in practice they have exposed people to distress, disruption, and even deportation. This book identifies a pattern of risky experimentation with automated systems in the Home Office. It analyses three recent case studies including: a voice recognition system used to detect fraud in English-language testing; an algorithm for identifying ‘risky’ visa applications; and automated decision-making in the EU Settlement Scheme. The book argues that a precautionary approach is essential to ensure that society benefits from government automation without exposing individuals to unacceptable risks.
About the author
Dr Joe Tomlinson is Senior Lecturer in Public Law at the University of York. I also a member of the Academic Panel at Blackstone Chambers. His research centres on administrative law and justice, and how it can be changed for the better. It explores how contemporary administrative justice systems operate in practice, often with an emphasis on policy problems or systemic issues. His research has been cited by UK Supreme Court and widely relied on in significant public interest litigation, including R (on the application of Miller) v The Prime Minister and Cherry and others v Advocate General for Scotland [2019] UKSC 41 (concerning the prorogation of Parliament), RR v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2019] UKSC 52 (concerning human rights and social security), and JCWI v The President of the Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) [2020] EWHC 3103 (Admin) (concerning the use of paper hearings).
This event is free and open to all but registration is require (link below)