According to Home Secretary for the United Kingdom, Priti Patel - Great Britain is planning to bring in 'contactless' border crossings to airports from 2024 onwards.
This new technology will allow some passengers to enter the country without using an electronic passport gate, or even so much as speaking to a border force officer. Alternatively, they may be required to upload a photo of themselves and send it directly to the Home Office before travelling to the nation.
The scheme is put together in a bid to reduce queuing times at the border, in-turn helping to speed up legitimate journeys into the United Kingdom.
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Euronews.com reports that hopeful travellers will undergo a 'pre-screening' process, which will allow them to still be identified upon arrival at a UK border, by using the latest technology. Priti Patel, said: “As Home Secretary I have been focused on taking back control of our immigration system through my New Plan for Immigration."
She added: “This includes ensuring we have a border that is fit for the 21st century which allows travellers to get a visa and pass through the border easily, while maintaining national security.”
Technology dependent on facial recognition could possibly be used to bring contactless corridors to fruition. This would require all travellers UK-bound to submit biographic and biometric data before they fly. As part of the ongoing transformation of UK borders, the Home Office also intends to introduce as 'Permission to Travel' scheme from next year. This will require all visitors hopeful of visiting the United Kingdom to apply for special permission before they can successfully travel.
Although UK and Irish passport holders will not need to adhere to the changes, everyone inbound will need to secure a Visa or Electronic Travel Authorisation before being granted access to the nation.
It is thought that acquiring an ETA will cost visitors £18, should they successfully submit biometric data and answer a set of 'suitability questions' correctly. Although not technically qualifying as a Visa, the ETA will allow parties to board a flight to travel to the UK. It's a similar system to the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation that America introduced following the 9/11 terror attacks.
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