New e-gate rules will speed up airport border control queues for families with young children, with up to 1.5 million more children set to benefit from July 8
New e-gate rules will speed up airport border control queues for families with young children, with up to 1.5 million more children set to benefit from July 8These automated barriers employ facial recognition technology to verify passengers' identities against their passport photographs, typically offering a faster alternative to manual checks.
Children must stand at least 120cm tall to be captured by the biometric scanners and must be accompanied by an adult. Current regulations prohibit passengers under 10 from using the gates, meaning many families are forced to join queues for traditional passport desks, reportsThe Government estimates that lowering the minimum age could enable up to 1.5 million additional children to benefit from the system.
Beyond the 13 UK airports equipped with e-gates, children aged eight and nine will also be allowed to use them at ports in Brussels and Paris, where juxtaposed border controls operate. Migration minister Mike Tapp stated that broadening access would ensure more families "experience a swifter and smoother journey home" this summer. Border Force director-general Phil Douglas noted that expanding e-gate availability allows "highly skilled officers to focus on intercepting those who pose a threat to the UK".
UK e-gates are accessible to British citizens alongside nationals from the EU, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland and the US. Registered traveller service members can also utilise them. Karen Dee, chief executive of Airports UK, the trade body for UK airports, commented: "This is a welcome development as it will give more families the ability to take advantage of this technology, speeding up the border process and reducing waiting times for many. "
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