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UK airport e-gates open for younger children/Image: Getty Images
Children aged eight and nine travelling back to the UK from overseas will be allowed to use airport e-gates from 8 July under new rules announced by the British government.Until now, only children aged 10 and above could use the automated border control system.Under the updated policy, eligible children must be at least 120 centimetres tall and accompanied by an adult so biometric scanners can identify them properly.The UK Home Office said the change could allow around 1.5 million additional children to use e-gates each year, helping reduce waiting times for families during busy travel periods.“More families will experience a swifter and smoother journey home this summer holiday season,” Migration and Citizenship Minister Mike Tapp said.E-gates are automated systems that use digital passport checks to speed up border clearance for passengers entering the country.The system can currently be used by British citizens as well as travellers from several countries including the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore and EU member states.The Home Office said more than 290 e-gates across the UK and at overseas border checkpoints would be covered under the expansion.
“The new measure allows highly skilled officers to focus on intercepting those who pose a threat to the UK,” Border Force Director General Phil Douglas said as quoted by BBC.The e-gates are installed at 13 airports across the UK, including Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport and Manchester Airport, along with border checkpoints in Paris and Brussels.Under the scheme, visitors from countries such as Canada and Australia are now required to obtain digital travel permission before entering the UK at a cost of £20.
