MI5 seeks public recruits to train as undercover surveillance officers

MI5 has launched a recruitment drive inviting members of the public to train as undercover surveillance officers, a move described by the security service as essential to modern covert operations. The program targets civilians who can blend into the background, with the only formal qualification cited being the ability to do so. Applicants must pass a six-month selection and training process before they can be deployed on operations that involve following suspects around the United Kingdom. The Daily Mail reported the drive on Sept. 27, 2025, citing MI5 and its advertisements for the role.

MI5 has used social media and the agency’s own website to present the role, emphasizing that a mobile surveillance officer, or MSO, may spend days on foot or in a car, depending on the target and the case. The online materials stress that being able to blend into the environment is central to the work. In an Instagram ad, MI5 asks, “Can you blend into the background?,” and adds that the job offers variety and does not require formal qualifications. The organization reiterates on its site that “Being an MSO means every day is different,” and that surveillance remains one of MI5’s key investigative resources in protecting the country from terrorism and espionage. The ad highlights the core criterion: the ability to blend into the background. MI5's description of the role includes further detail about the daily realities of MSOs.

Images associated with the recruitment drive have circulated online, including a photo linked to the campaign that illustrates the recruitment push and the broader emphasis on civilian participation in national security efforts.

MI5 notes that the pool of potential recruits includes ex-members of the Armed Forces and police, as well as university graduates and young people just starting out in their careers. The agency has indicated it values a range of backgrounds and sees the MSO role as a flexible addition to its toolkit for gathering human intelligence and conducting mobile surveillance in support of investigations.

A surveillance officer who recently completed the six-month training described the course as demanding, saying the first days were a whirlwind and that the workload could involve walking thousands of steps while being observed for decision-making under pressure. The officer, who spoke to MI5’s recruitment materials on the condition of anonymity, said the role requires sustained physical effort and intense mental focus, noting that the daily routine can involve long periods of surveillance, rapid decision-making, and constant situational assessment. Such firsthand accounts underscore the challenging nature of the work while illustrating why the six-month training is described as physically and mentally exhausting by some recruits.

MI5 says MSOs are integral to covert operations and have contributed to the capture of some of the United Kingdom’s most dangerous terrorists, including individuals who were planning attacks. The agency’s current messaging marks a public shift in how it presents its undercover capabilities, signaling an openness to civilian participation and broad eligibility criteria beyond traditional law enforcement backgrounds. The six-month training requirement is a new element of the public-facing description, reinforcing the view that success in the MSO role depends on rigorous preparation and sustained fitness as much as on a person’s ability to blend in.

The recruitment campaign emphasizes the daily variability of the MSO role and the importance of discretion, situational awareness, and resilience. MI5 notes that candidates from diverse pathways can apply, provided they demonstrate the core capacity to integrate into various environments without drawing attention. While the program seeks to expand the service’s reach and capability, officials stress that all MSOs will undergo the same rigorous training and selection process to ensure mission readiness and safety for the officers involved and the public they observe and protect. The public-facing materials stop short of detailing the exact pathways into permanent roles, but describe a potential career track that begins with rigorous selection and training and proceeds to assignment on sensitive, high-stakes operations when required.