Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, and if so in what specific ways, they are sponsoring or encouraging research in forensic linguistics with a view to extending its use in the criminal justice system and the immigration services.

A forensic linguistic process, known as “language analysis”, has been used by the Home Office for immigration purposes for over ten years. The capability is provided by two private suppliers, who were contracted following a competitive tender in 2014.

Language analysis is used to assist in identifying an individual’s true place of origin where it is in doubt, and to deter individuals from making fraudulent asylum claims based on false claims of origin for actual or perceived benefit. It is just one of the tools employed to help confirm an individual’s nationality.