Chaos at UK airports as border system fails across country

CNN
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An issue with the country’s border system has hit electronic gates at British airports, causing chaos for holidaymakers and passengers arriving in the country.

Images shared online showed long queues forming at major airports, with many looking to travel ahead of a public holiday Monday and with schools on half-term breaks.

The failure means travelers will have to check their passports manually rather than by machine.

Frustrated travelers took to social media to vent their anger, claiming they had to wait hours to see their passports.

“We are aware of an issue with the border system across the country which is affecting arrivals to the UK,” a Home Office spokesperson told CNN in a statement on Saturday.

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

A spokesman for London Heathrow airport said: “We are aware of a national issue affecting eGates, which is operated by the Border Force.

“This issue affects a number of ports of entry and is not specific to Heathrow. Our teams are working closely with the Border Force to help resolve the problem as quickly as possible and we have additional colleagues on hand to manage the queues and provide the benefit to the passengers.

Lucy Morton from the Immigration Services Union told BBC’s Radio 4 that depending on the airport 60% to 80% of travelers go through the e-gates.

“There will be no impact on national security, in fact, it will improve national security because each arriving passenger will be seen by a person, not a machine,” he said.

“But it builds queues and that in itself creates its own set of problems. People get frustrated, they take it out on staff. Staff are verbally abused, sometimes staff are physically abused, they get hit. All of this start to cascade throughout the day.”