Anger over passport e-gates at airports not working

Passengers flying to the UK expressed their dismay at the delays as passport e-gates across the country were not working throughout the day.

The issue at airports, including Heathrow, Manchester and Gatwick, began on Friday night.

The Home Office said it was working with airlines and port operators to minimize disruption from “issues across the country’s border system”.

A union warned of queues building quickly.

All airports across the country that use the gates are affected, meaning people flying in will have to check their passports manually.

Marc Baret was booked on a flight from Chicago to Manchester via Heathrow, but told BBC News he changed his plans when he was left waiting for more than two hours at the London airport.

He said: “It was absolute chaos at the passport control. There were people who were really frustrated and a couple of individuals tried to jump the queue, the police had to get involved and one of the passengers fainted,” he said. .

A passenger arriving at Gatwick said the situation was a “mockery”.

Another, Craig Pullen, said he had to wait in the queue at Luton Airport for more than two hours on Saturday, adding that it was “too bad” that travelers were not given regular updates on e-issues. -gate or being told how long it will take to clear passport control.

It was not clear what the issue was with the border system, with a Home Office spokesman saying it was “too sensitive to say”.

However, although this technically affects everywhere where people are screened arriving in the UK, the impact will be felt most at larger airports with e-gates.

This weekend is already expected to be a busy one for travellers, with the bank holiday coinciding with the half term break for many families.

Separate travelers departing the UK from the Port of Dover also faced issues after the French passport system failed on Saturday.

That issue has since been fixed, but cars and coaches waited for around an hour, with around 400 trucks queuing to cross over a busy bank holiday weekend.

Airports around the UK issued statements warning passengers of delays but said they were working with the UK Border Force to minimize disruption.

A spokesman for Gatwick Airport said on Saturday morning that queues would be “manageable” at that stage – although they expected 800 incoming flights during the day. It confirmed that the issue first started between 19:00 and 20:00 BST on Friday.

The e-gate system facilitates passport control by allowing some passengers to scan their own passports. It uses facial recognition to verify identity and capture the image of the traveler.

Lucy Morton, from the Immigration Services Union, told the BBC that between 60-80% of incoming passengers usually use the e-gates, depending on the airport and with them unusable queues tend to build up “quickly very”.

“There will be no impact on national security,” he said, explaining that all arrivals would be thoroughly vetted through manned officer desks.

The e-gates can be used by British citizens aged over 12 and from the EU, as well as people from countries including Australia, Canada, the US, Japan and New Zealand.

But all entry points remain with manned security desks for other passengers and those who cannot use the e-gates.

A Home Office spokesman said they were aware of an “issue with the border system across the country which is affecting arrivals to the UK”.

“We are working to resolve the issue as soon as possible and are coordinating with port operators and airlines to minimize disruption to travelers,” they said.

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