E-gates at UK airports will soon permit entry to children aged eight and nine, the Home Office has announced.
Those using the e-gates need to be at least 120cm tall in order to be seen by the biometric scanners – and will need to be accompanied by an adult.
The e-gates can currently only be used by children aged 10 and above, but the new rule will change this, coming into effect on 8 July.
As a result, the government has said it believes around 1.5 million extra children will be able to enter the country through the e-gates.
This will apply to more than 290 such gates across the UK.
In total, 13 UK airports will be affected by the new rules.
These are London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London City, London Luton, London Stansted, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, East Midlands, Newcastle, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
British passengers with passport covers showing the biometric symbol can use the gates, which are designed to make moving through border control speedier.
Currently, e-gates can only be used by those aged 10 and above – but soon, eight and nine-year-olds will be permitted to use them
Plus, some non-British residents from countries including the US and Australia are able to use the gates, the BBC reported.
Minister for migration and citizenship Mike Tapp said: ‘By expanding eGate access, more families can experience a swifter and smoother journey home – freeing up precious time this summer holiday season.’
Karen Dee, chief executive of AirportsUK, the trade body for UK airports, said: ‘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.’
UK airports could see faster processing times as a result – a welcome development, given the ongoing chaos unfolding across European airports.
Since the full rollout of the new Entry/Exit system, Europe travellers have been battling long airport queues and chaos.
Commonly called the EES, the process is an automated digital border system for non-EU nationals, including UK citizens, entering the Schengen Area, which includes most of the EU, plus Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.
Travellers are now required to register biometric details, including fingerprints and photographs.
The e-gates are used at UK borders to speed up processing
The new system is operating in 29 European countries and countless holidaymakers have experienced problems as a result, with it creating long queues and even causing some to miss their flights.
Some countries have already been responding to the challenges created by the EES, including Spain where in a bid to tackle the chaos and make things easier for families and those with disabilities, hubs have brought in some new rules.
AENA, the Spanish airport authority, has requested that workers help vulnerable passengers and families with young children avoid the queues.
Elsewhere, Greece recently pulled the plug on fingerprinting and facial scans to help holidaymakers avoid the chaos.
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