If your face fits, it’s welcome to the UK

Border and Immigration Minister Phil Woolas, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, tries out new new technology at Manchester Airport.

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.”