MikeManx

I know its a pointless argument as nothing will change, but why would removing UK e-gate access for European passport holders mean that "UK passport holders would suffer as a result"?

Yes, queues at the desks for non-UK passport holders would be awful, but the queues at the UK e-gates for UK passport holders would be much reduced as only UK passport holders would be allowed to use them.

So, if you are a European passport holder, getting through the UK border without e-gate access would take an hour or more - just as long as it now takes a UK citizen to get through a European border.

In my view, the only countries that should be allowed to use the UK e-gates are UK passport holders and passport holders of countries that allow UK passport holders to use their e-gates (Australia and the UAE come to mind).

Crampedin13A

It's far easier for a Canadian to enter the UK through the e-gates than return to their own country. Anyone who flies BA and has gone through the hellhole that is YYZ T3 immigration hall with it's idiotic 4 checks snaking forever through tensa barriers to get the hell out will know what I'm talking about. Canadian passport holders don't even have a separate line

LondonAussie

Many EU countries airports now allow us to use their eGates, and they all work flawlessly with my passport, unlike the UK’s consistent “seek assistance”. Although it does seem somewhat pointless as we then have to go to a desk to get a stamp.

zoemaestra

Yes, it worked in the UK every time I tried.

binman

Use of U.K. E gates but multiple nationalities is welcoming and welcome but it should have been restricted to those countries that reciprocated. The USA being a case in point. It is testament to the both the subservient nature of the special relationship and inadequacy of the home office.
I saw last night that before I can apply for global entry I must first get clearance from the U.K. at a cost of £42 before I can ever apply. Is that correct?


indeed and it’s impossible to avoid unlike here where the signs telling some nationalities to get a stamp are at the baggage belts. Not sure I’d bother!

Not in the least surprised by this

Saladman

Which ones? And as you say if you have to queue to get a stamp then why bother in the first place?

The only places I’ve managed to go through eGates is Mexico City (only a few gates - 3 or 4), Sydney (slightly more gates but a rather convoluted system though it worked well enough) and Singapore (big queues for about four gates). Places like Tokyo involved a 90 minute queue (and we were first off) and most EU places I’ve been to recently involve around a 15-30 minute queue.

I’m not saying the U.K. system is perfect however nowhere else in the world (that I’ve seen - I’m sure most people on here are far more travelled than me) has as many eGates AND accepts quite so many nationalities through them. For free!

For all the complaints by a tiny few who struggle to get through them, I’d say it’s up there as being one of the easiest and quickest immigration systems to get through for the largest number of people (a potential pool of around a billion people). Nowhere else in the world has this.

Of course if you’re S African or Thai or one of the other non eGate nationals then the picture is slightly less rosy. But no worse than going into South Africa for a U.K. citizen or BKK etc.

Saladman

Those signs are also peppered well before immigration and are just for a very niche section of people who arrive on a special type of visa - Creative Worker for example - a short term work visa. Such people could normally use the eGates on their passport but are required to get a stamp and have the visa ‘activated’. The reminder at the baggage belt is in case they forget (some do and have to go back).

If they don’t then it can apparently throw up problems with their work. A lot are musicians and models, actors etc and apparently their passports are checked to make sure they have the requisite stamp. So it’s in their interests to do it.

Others might be coming in for an extended work visa, study visa and again it’s in their interests to get a stamp else it might lead to overstaying problems down the line.

So whilst you might not bother, the people it’s directed to are generally law abiding and keen to avoid issues and probably will bother.

DaveS

Last time I visited Italy used the e-gates and they worked quickly first time with no queue. They were trialling them in Ivory Coast last year and they worked well with my UK passport too. To be fair, it only took two tries at LGW last night to get through and my 11yo daughter managed to get through for the first time at T3 last month.

wportre

I am going to unsubscribe from this thread, marking the issue as "solved" (HO systems upgrade) for most of us, and noting that the recent topic drift underlines that the original issue is solved. Thanks for the help.

furryman

They are treating UK visitors as non-EEC citizens precisely because we ARE non-EEC citizens. Something the govt of the day wanted.

and yes, October is going to be “interesting”.

Grace B

FWIW the Govt of the day is still the Govt of today.

However, I did use my newly minted replacement passport without any hitch entering at LHR T2 a few days ago, and have just used it to enter Albania at TIA via the automated gates without an issue.