The Home Office has announced a significant change to UK airport arrival rules for passport holders. From 8 July, children aged eight and nine returning to the UK from abroad will be permitted to use e-gates at airports and other re-entry points across the country.
According to the Labour Party government website, children must be at least 120cm (3ft 11in) tall to be visible to the biometric scanners and must be accompanied by an adult. By lowering the minimum age from ten, the government estimates that up to 1.5 million additional children will be able to benefit from the e-gates.
Government and industry reaction
Minister for Migration and Citizenship Mike Tapp stated that more families would "experience a swifter and smoother journey home... this summer holiday season." Border Force Director General Phil Douglas noted that the new measure allows "highly skilled officers to focus on intercepting those who pose a threat to the UK."
Karen Dee, Chief Executive of AirportsUK, the trade body for UK airports, called the change a "welcome development." She added: "It will give more families the ability to take advantage of this technology, speeding up the border process and reducing waiting times for many. Airports work very hard with border authorities to ensure the UK's front door is both secure and welcoming, with those coming home and visiting enjoying a smooth experience."
Airports with e-gates
The e-gates are installed across 13 airports in the UK: Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow, London City, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle and Stansted.
Eligibility for e-gates
The government states: "There are over 270 eGates in place at 15 air and rail ports in the UK to enable quicker travel into the UK." Passengers can normally use eGates if they have a biometric symbol on the cover of their passport and are either a British citizen, a national of an EU country, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, the USA, or a member of the Registered Traveller Service. Those travelling with ID cards cannot use the eGates.
