Overview
- The pilot at Manchester Airport let eligible arrivals pass through e-gates using facial recognition without scanning a passport.
- The technology was integrated into existing e-gates, with passengers sent to officers if facial recognition failed.
- Border Force has a new contract to expand e-gates nationwide, with the aim for most travelers to use an automated gate.
- Current systems create a biometric profile matched to a verified document, so physical passports are still required in practice.
- Privacy oversight continues after a Milan Linate faceboarding pilot was suspended over data storage concerns, as the EU pursues stricter Entry/Exit biometric rules.