UK border facial recognition: travellers entering Britain's borders will 'no longer need' passports

Advanced facial recognition is set to be used to get into the UK meaning passports may no longer be needed. Instead new e-gates will be introduced at airports with the high-tech designed to level up Britain’s border.  The aim is to upgrade the current eGates system so that arriving passengers can keep their passports in their pockets and be allowed into the UK simply by looking into a camera.

Dubai currently uses facial recognition for 50 nationalities while Australia has also installed next-generation e-gates. The Times reported that trials for the new technology are set to begin this year. An initial trial is likely to take place at a single airport for a limited number of travellers followed by a procurement exercise. The cost of upgrading the hundreds of existing eGates is likely to run into the tens of millions.

The idea was described by Phil Douglas, the Director General of Border Force, as creating an “intelligent border”, adding that it could create “much more frictionless facial recognition than we currently do”. He told The Times: "We will know a lot more information about people upfront. We will know if they've been in the UK before. We'll know what their compliance with immigration laws is. And we'll know if there's any records of them on our security systems. So there will be some people who won't be getting on the plane."

The announcement has come as the current system of various travel visas is being replaced with one system, called Electronic Travel Authorisation. This means that people who are coming to visit the UK will pay for a travel pass, and then fill out a security questionnaire.