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If your face fits, it’s welcome to the UK
Date published: 27 November 2009
Passengers returning to the UK at Manchester International Airport have been encouraged to use new facial recognition gates by Border and Immigration Minister Phil Woolas.
The new gates can be used by any UK or European passenger aged 18 or over who has an electronically-chipped biometric passport, issued since 2006, providing legitimate travellers with an automated, secure route through the border.
The state-of-the-art machines, which have just been launched at Terminal 2 after their successful installation at Terminal 1 last year, offer passengers the choice between queuing at traditional manned passport controls and using the self-service gates.
More than 300,000 people have used the gates in Manchester since their introduction.
The machine takes seconds to scan each passenger’s face against the digital photo recorded in their passport.
If there is a match, the e-passport gates allow the traveller through.
The system is monitored at all times by officers from the UK Border Agency.
Individuals are checked against international lists before they can pass through the gates and anyone refused entry will be checked by UK Border Agency officers.
Mr Woolas, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, said: “Britain’s border security controls are among the toughest in the world and by using the latest technology we are continuing to improve our ability to ensure only legitimate travellers and goods enter Britain.
“The new facial recognition gates here at Manchester airport will improve our service to the public and help to make the UK safer.”
Mr Woolas also met the UK Border Agency dog team based at the airport which is responsible for detecting goods such as drugs, cash, endangered species and products of animal origin, people have attempted to smuggle into the country illegally.
Andrew Cornish, managing director at Manchester International Airport, said: “We have invested over £50 million in transforming our terminals to improve the airport experience for the seven million people who arrive into the country each year through Terminal 2.”
Comments
I don't see the point of Mr Useless introducing any border control when his government doesn't appear to bother about who they let in. Last set of figures show immigration at record levels despite there not being jobs for all the people already here. When will this useless lot realise that the country cannot sustain this level of migration?
Would this be effective against a false passport? Is it only picking up the photo on the passport? We know how easily they can be faked.
*Encouraged* to use it? There wasn't a choice when I came in from London last month. It is another security system to keep us safe.
watched them in action at other airports and people still had to wait for the machine to recognise them and it seemed to go slower.
No border control? Do you ever travel? We, and Ireland, are the only countries in the European Union who require people travelling to other EU countries to go through passport control. People in the rest of the EU can move freely.
Bit difficult if you're wearing a Burka!
Must be an election coming, Woolas is appearing more and more regularly............
What a fool you are to spout such rubbish that our border controls are amongst the toughest in the world.
You are nothing more than a closet Communist who wants to control and track everyone's movements.
and your face doesnt phil so leave politics asap!
when actual limits on immigration are in place then i might feel a bit happier!
but they wont. they never even bother touching on this subject
Have Your Say
Since we have no border and immigration control there is no ned for a minister. Goodbye Mr woolas.
By Old_Mancunian @ 27/11/2009 12:24:30