The UK Home Office will this week begin a third live-facial-recognition (LFR) trial on passengers disembarking ferries at Holyhead, the main maritime gateway between Dublin and Wales. Internal documents obtained by The Irish Times show that immigration-enforcement officers will deploy real-time cameras for three days starting 23 February 2026, comparing travellers’ faces against a watch-list of deported migrants and serious offenders.
The Common Travel Area normally allows Irish and British citizens to cross without routine checks, so the decision to single out the Holyhead route has alarmed civil-liberties groups. The Home Office argues that intelligence indicates repeat immigration-offending via ferries from Dublin and that the pilot is a “proof-of-concept” to locate individuals breaching deportation orders. A November 2025 LFR test at the same port scanned 7,500 faces, generating two alerts and one on-site arrest.
For the estimated 1.8 million leisure and business passengers who sail the route annually, the technology adds a new layer of surveillance. Unlike airports, ferry terminals in the CTA have minimal infrastructure for systematic checks; the LFR cameras will therefore become the first line of immigration control on Irish Sea sailings. An Garda Síochána has no jurisdiction on the Welsh side, so Irish travellers have limited avenues for redress if mis-identification occurs.
![UK immigration to run live facial-recognition pilot on Irish Sea route – thousands of Irish travellers to be scanned at Holyhead]()
Whether you are a frequent ferry commuter or managing travel for a larger team, VisaHQ’s Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) can help you stay ahead of changing entry rules and biometric requirements. The service tracks policy updates—such as this new live-facial-recognition pilot—offers personalized alerts, and streamlines any visa or documentation applications you might still need when moving between Ireland, the UK, and beyond.
Corporate mobility teams whose assignees use the Dublin–Holyhead ferry (popular for company-car transfers and heavy equipment) should warn staff that their biometric data may be captured. Although participation in the pilot is legally framed as “voluntary,” refusal to present one’s face could lead to secondary screening and delays. Data-protection officers should note that images are retained for up to 24 hours before deletion unless they trigger a match, in which case they may be stored indefinitely.
Irish privacy advocates, including UCD’s Centre for Digital Policy, fear the move could set a precedent for routine biometric checks within the CTA, gradually eroding the passport-free principle. They urge the Irish Government to seek formal assurances that the technology will not be expanded without public consultation and independent oversight.
The Common Travel Area normally allows Irish and British citizens to cross without routine checks, so the decision to single out the Holyhead route has alarmed civil-liberties groups. The Home Office argues that intelligence indicates repeat immigration-offending via ferries from Dublin and that the pilot is a “proof-of-concept” to locate individuals breaching deportation orders. A November 2025 LFR test at the same port scanned 7,500 faces, generating two alerts and one on-site arrest.
For the estimated 1.8 million leisure and business passengers who sail the route annually, the technology adds a new layer of surveillance. Unlike airports, ferry terminals in the CTA have minimal infrastructure for systematic checks; the LFR cameras will therefore become the first line of immigration control on Irish Sea sailings. An Garda Síochána has no jurisdiction on the Welsh side, so Irish travellers have limited avenues for redress if mis-identification occurs.
Whether you are a frequent ferry commuter or managing travel for a larger team, VisaHQ’s Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) can help you stay ahead of changing entry rules and biometric requirements. The service tracks policy updates—such as this new live-facial-recognition pilot—offers personalized alerts, and streamlines any visa or documentation applications you might still need when moving between Ireland, the UK, and beyond.
Corporate mobility teams whose assignees use the Dublin–Holyhead ferry (popular for company-car transfers and heavy equipment) should warn staff that their biometric data may be captured. Although participation in the pilot is legally framed as “voluntary,” refusal to present one’s face could lead to secondary screening and delays. Data-protection officers should note that images are retained for up to 24 hours before deletion unless they trigger a match, in which case they may be stored indefinitely.
Irish privacy advocates, including UCD’s Centre for Digital Policy, fear the move could set a precedent for routine biometric checks within the CTA, gradually eroding the passport-free principle. They urge the Irish Government to seek formal assurances that the technology will not be expanded without public consultation and independent oversight.
