UK Officials Plan To Face Biometrics Trial for Passport-Free Border Checks
The UK will conduct trials this year allowing air travellers to bypass passport checks by using biometric gates, as reported by The Times. According to UK Border Force Director-General Phil Douglas, this face biometrics system, inspired by implementations in Dubai and Australia, aims to enhance security and streamline passenger processing under the upcoming Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) scheme, connecting to immigration systems to prevent ineligible travellers from boarding.
Assuming successful trials, the UK plans to replace 270 gates at air and rail ports, gradually phasing out legacy passport desks over the next two to three years. The expansion of the biometric e-gates system, originally for UK and EU travellers, has faced challenges, including a major failure in May 2023. However, the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) scheme is set to broaden its eligibility to nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan in February, with an eventual extension to all non-visa-requiring short-term visitors.
In October, Transport Canada discreetly requested information for its Air Right Touch project, planning to implement face biometrics for traveller verification without physical passports, aligning with the International Air Transport Association’s OneID concept. The Canada Border Services Agency is exploring facial recognition for border checks, prompting speculation about a potential new biometric database, though concerns about misidentification have been raised.
Vietnam’s Civil Aviation Authority is seeking the Ministry of Transport’s approval to persist with using face biometrics for authenticating air passengers with electronic chip-based ID documents. Proposed by the Airports Corporation of Vietnam, the policy targets travellers with chip-based IDs who consent to share personal information and biometrics, with equipment procurement set for completion at selected airports by the first quarter of 2024.
