What Is the Deal on e-Gates?
There had been whispers on the wind that Starmer would be negotiating with the European Union to let Brits enter their countries through e-gates—an upgrade that integrates advanced identity verification technology and could help reduce reliance on manual passport control systems.
Ahead of the UK-EU summit in London today (19 May), European relations minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said he thought it “would be sensible.”
According to Morning Star, certain airports in Spain and Portugal already allow British passports through e-gates. However, these privileges are often tied to bilateral agreements and subject to aviation security compliance laws.
The new deal will see more holidaymakers being able to use e-gates at more European airports, letting them skip the queue for passport control—
Something that could save time and benefit passengers traveling with international health insurance, those with disability accommodations, or anyone traveling under medical clearance.
According to the UK government’s document following the summit, they wrote that “there will be no legal barriers to eGate use for British Nationals traveling to and from European Union Member States after the introduction of the European Union Entry/Exit System.”
