Search

How can we help?

Icon

Use of e-gates at the UK border increases by 1 million

The Government has revealed that more than one million passengers from seven additional countries have used e-gates to enter the country. This follows the expansion of e-gates on 20 May 2019 to nationals from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the United States.

The use of e-gates reduces the time a passenger spends on the border. E-gates use latest technology to recognise the facial features of a passenger and compare this with the digital image recorded on their passport. Any discrepancy or a flag on the database can result in the e-gates re-directing the passenger to an Immigration Officer.

The use of e-gates reduces the time a passenger spends on the border

The use of e-gates requires an e-passport which contains a biometric chip. It is expected that European nationals will continue to have access to e-gates after the UK leaves the EU.

Disclaimer
This information is for guidance purposes only and should not be regarded as a substitute for taking legal advice. Please refer to the full General Notices on our website.

Author profile

Monica Atwal

Managing Partner

View profile

+44 118 960 4605

About this article

Read, listen and watch our latest insights

art
  • 30 September 2026

Clarkslegal celebrates strong results in the Legal 500 UK 2027

Clarkslegal would like to thank its clients for the outstanding feedback that contributed to the firm’s recognition in the Legal 500 UK Solicitors 2027 Guide. We are proud to be recognised across five key practice areas: Litigation, Property, Corporate & Commercial, Employment, and Immigration.

art
  • 29 September 2026
  • Employment

New bereavement leave rights for pregnancy loss

The Government have announced that in April 2027 they will be introducing a new right to bereavement leave to include those who suffer pregnancy loss before 24 weeks. This has been announced in their response to their consultation on bereavement leave “Make Work Pay: Leave for bereavement including pregnancy loss”.

art
  • 25 September 2026
  • Employment

Consultation response on duty to inform workers of right to join a union

The Employment Rights Act 2025, makes it a requirement for employers to inform workers of their right to join a trade union at the same time as the Section 1 particulars are issued to them and at subsequent times. The details of this new duty are to be provided in regulations.

art
  • 24 September 2026
  • Public Procurement

Procurement challenges: What documents and information are bidders entitled to?

A tricky feature of public procurement challenges for unsuccessful bidders is that contracting authorities usually hold all the cards. When the outcome of a tender conducted under the Procurement Act 2023 has been decided, authorities must provide bidders with an Assessment Summary containing their scores for each of the award criteria and those of the successful bidder and an explanation for those scores.

art
  • 23 September 2026
  • Corporate and M&A

GDPR Privacy Policies: Key requirements for organisations

When an organisation is creating a website or app to reach users or potential customers drafting a Privacy Policy may be an afterthought. However, failure to write a Privacy Policy, which complies with the relevant legislation, can have serious consequences.

Pub
  • 17 September 2026
  • Employment

Employment law changes in 2026: What you need to know

Stay ahead of the latest UK employment law changes. Watch our on demand webinar with Monica Atwal and Harry Berryman covering key HR developments and employment law updates for 2026.