Germany to test migrant voice recognition software

Germany will begin testing new voice recognition software that will be able to tell which country undocumented migrants come from, officials have said.

The Federal Office for Migrants and Refugees said that the automated new system would begin within two weeks and will be ready for routine use in around a year.

The new software is similar to the voice authentication technology used by banks and insurance companies and is capable of differentiating between dialects.

The software’s aim is to detect Arabic-speaking migrants claiming to be Syrian so as to increase their chances of asylum. However, linguists have warned that it would be impossible for an automatic voice recognition machine to be completely accurate, as language and vocabulary are constantly changing.

German officials told the AP news agency that the new software will run alongside techniques already in use to establish a person’s identity.