Migrant Digital Justice Programme
ORG’s work on immigration aims to empower the sector to work and campaign against the increasing collection of personal data, data sharing and new technologies driving immigration controls.
We work in partnership with organisations supporting all categories of migrants and refugees to address digital rights and privacy issues affecting their clients and understand how data sharing and new technologies are influencing immigration policy. We also facilitate collaborative initiatives and campaigns.
We also work with a range of stakeholders including government, the Home Office, Parliament, the Independent Chief Inspector for Borders and Immigration (ICIBI) to drive policy change.
This work builds on and is linked to the Immigration exemption campaign.
The hostile environment policy gives the Home Office sweeping powers and the mandate to access personal data from GPs, hospitals, schools, and job centres and use it to track down individuals for immigration detention or deportation.
Photo credit is David Mirzoeff / Global Justice Now
The Story So Far
Data Sharing and Migrant Women Reporting Abuse
On 9 December 2022, The Wales Cross Party Group on Digital Rights and Democracy, of which Open Rights Group is the secretariat, held its second session, this time held on data sharing and migrant women reporting domestic abuse.EDRi’s first Colour of Surveillance Europe Conference
In September, European Digital Rights (EDRi) held the first Colour of Surveillance Europe Conference in Amsterdam and it was such a privilege for me to be selected to attend both days of the conference.Migrant Digital Justice Toolkit
How-to-fight data discrimination – launching a new toolkit for the migrants’ rights sector The Migrant Digital Justice Programme (MDJP) at ORG is proud to launch our Migrant Digital Justice Toolkit.‘Prevent’ and the attack on free speech
A review of the government’s controversial Prevent duty has been a long time coming.New name and start for our migration work
Since its inception in 2020, our immigration, data and technology programme has worked to understand the needs and capacities of civil society organisations in the field of migrant’ rights and support them to incorporate digital advocacy in their work.Government disregards Court’s Immigration Exemption ruling
This week the House of Commons and the House of Lords will consider the Government’s proposed legislation regarding amendments to the immigration exemption.Newsletter: Migration, Data and Digital Rights
Welcome to the November edition of Migration, Data and Digital Rights!Afghans targeted by fake Home Office website
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is currently deciding whether it will take further action against a fake website created by the Home Office.Digital deception & disinformation used to deter migrants
The Information Commissioner’s Office has opened an investigation into a fake website created by the Home Office.Immigration, Data & Technology Newsletter
Welcome to the July edition of Immigration, Data and Technology!Newsletter: Immigration, Data and Technology
Welcome to the May edition of Immigration, Data and Technology!Immigration, Data and Technology newsletter
Welcome to the third edition of Immigration, Data and Technology!Europe cannot rubber stamp the UK’s data laws
The United Kingdom is currently awaiting a decision from Europe on whether it provides adequate standards of data protection.Data & Immigration update – February newsletter
Welcome to the second edition of Immigration, Data and Technology!Newsletter: Immigration, Data and Technology
Happy New Year!How will the National Data Strategy affect migrants and refugees?
In early September the government launched its National Data Strategy (NDS) which it described as ‘an ambitious, pro-growth strategy that aims to drive the UK in building a world-leading data economy while ensuring public trust in data use.Data & Trust: Will migrants use the NHS app?
A fortnight ago, the NHSX Covid-19 App was launched across England and Wales following the many concerns raised by civil society and privacy advocates including Open Rights Group (ORG) both collectively and individually regarding privacy and security.Immigration sector privacy concerns
As part of ORG’s work in the area of immigration we have consulted 30 organisations on their priorities and needs.Immigration Bill brings surveillance to EU migrants
The UK immigration regime is set for major changes, as the UK leaves the EU.Data, privacy and new tech in the immigration sector
Understanding the needs and capacities to deal with data, privacy and the use of new technologies in the immigration sector Please take a moment to answer our survey on the immigration sector needs and capacities to deal with privacy, personal data, digital and technological changes: https://www.NHSX tracking app Privacy Assessment: Key Concerns
NHSX finally released the Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) for their contact tracing app at the weekend.Hostile environment may stop migrants from using NHSX tracker app
This week the Government confirmed that the NHSX app being developed as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic is using a centralised contact matching system.Contact tracing apps & vulnerable migrants: key concerns
In our recent blog we discussed the emerging privacy issues around contact tracing and ‘immunity passports’, and the announcement from Google and Apple that they are jointly working on a contact tracing app.Brexit, Data Privacy and the EU Settled Status Scheme
The EU Settled Status Scheme (“the scheme”) provides the administrative route through which all EU nationals must apply to remain in the UK after 30 June 2021, in the event of a deal, or 31 December 2020, in the event of no deal.What is at stake with the immigration exemption legal challenge?
The immigration exemption in the Data Protection Act 2018 will remove key data protection rights for everyone in the United Kingdom.The Data Protection Bill’s Immigration Exemption must go
The government has introduced a sweeping “immigration exemption” in Schedule 2, Paragraph 4.More Information
10 December, 2020
Open Letter: Impact of the National Data Strategy on migrants and refugees
Open letter to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports on the impact of the National Data Strategy on migrants and refugees.
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02 December, 2020
Immigration, Data and Technology: Needs and Capacities of the Immigration Sector
This report is based on the findings of a survey launched earlier this year with Privacy International to identify the needs and capacities of migrants’ rights organisations to respond to data, privacy and the use of new technologies.
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28 February, 2018
Open Rights Group and the3million Joint Briefing for Second Reading of the Data Protection Bill in the House of Commons
Joint Briefing1: Second Reading of the Data Protection Bill in the House of Commons
The briefing is also available in pdf format.
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07 December, 2017
Immigration Exemptions: Government Position – Open Rights Group Response
This briefing is a breakdown of the Government’s response in Committee to the debate on Schedule 2 Paragraph 4 which would create an exemption from GDPR provisions to personal data processed for the purposes of “the maintenance of effective immigration control”, or “the investigation or detection of activities that would undermine the maintenance of effective immigration control”.
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07 December, 2017
Joint Briefing: Immigration Exemptions in the Data Protection Bill Need To Be Removed
Open Rights Group and the3million
JOINT BRIEFING: IMMIGRATION EXEMPTIONS IN THE DATA PROTECTION BILL NEED TO BE REMOVED.
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Press Releases
26 May, 2021
Immigration Exemption judged unlawful, excessive, wrong by Court of Appeal
Today the court of appeal has unanimously found that the UK immigration exemption is incompatible with Article 23 of the GDPR.
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03 March, 2021
Documents reveal controversial Immigration Exemption used in 70% of access requests to Home Office
Documents released today by the digital rights organisation Open Rights Group show that a controversial exemption in data protection law in the United Kingdom was used in over 70% of data access requests to the Home Office in 2020.
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03 October, 2019
Open Rights Group and the3million seek to appeal immigration exemption judgment
The organisations argued at the High Court hearing, that took place on 23 and 24 July 2019, that the exemption is far too broad and is contrary to the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).
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24 July, 2019
Controversial ‘immigration exemption’ used in 60% of cases, court case reveals
The figure was confirmed on the first day of a High Court challenge brought by the Open Rights Group and the3million.
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22 July, 2019
High Court to hear judicial review of the immigration exemption for data protection rights
The legal challenge has been brought by the Open Rights Group and the3million who argue that the immigration exemption, which passed into law in May 2018 as part of the Data Protection Act 2018, is unlawful.
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30 August, 2018
Open Rights Group and the3million launch judicial review challenging the Data Protection Act’s immigration exemption
The challenge has been brought by Open Rights Group (ORG) – a UK based digital campaigning organisation working to protect the rights to privacy and free speech online and the3million – the largest grassroots organisation of EU citizens living in the UK.
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09 May, 2018
Rights groups to take Government to court over shocking immigration exemption
This exemption will affect everyone involved in an immigration case, for example: those seeking refuge in the UK, those affected by the Windrush scandal, the three million EU citizens who will have to submit their applications for a new immigration status after Brexit.
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