by Glotee Legal LimitedEPassport gates to ease travel for passengers from more countries
From summer 2019, eligible travellers from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the United States will be able to use the ePassport gates at 14 ports, both in the UK and at Eurostar terminals at Brussels and Paris.
The ePassport gates expansion will provide an automated route through the border for an estimated additional 6 million international travellers arriving in the UK every year. The move is the next step in the government’s continuing programme of work to roll out digital technology at the border and is expected to significantly improve the flow of passengers at busy airports such as Heathrow.
ePassport gates, which are currently available for British and EU nationals, provide a faster route through the border as they allow eligible passengers to be processed quickly and securely. All passengers are automatically checked against Border Force systems and watchlists. The technology also allows Border Force officers to focus on other priority work such as identifying potential victims of trafficking.
Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes said:
We want to encourage people who boost our economy through tourism and business to travel to the UK, while at the same time maintaining border security. Expanding the number of nationalities eligible to use ePassport gates supports this aim.
Increasing the use of digital technology is part of our ambitious programme to improve the passenger experience and meet the challenge of increased passenger numbers.
ePassport gates use facial recognition technology to compare the passenger’s face to the digital image recorded in their passport. The system is monitored by Border Force officers and anyone rejected by the gates will be sent to an alternative channel to have their passport checked.
There are now 259 ePassport gates in operation at 14 ports around the UK and juxtaposed control locations. The gates can be used by those aged 18 and over, and who are travelling using a biometric or ‘chipped’ passport. Those aged 12 to 17 years old, and who are accompanied by an adult, are also able to use them.
by Glotee Legal LimitedNHS workers and students to trial EU Settlement Scheme
NHS workers, university staff and students in the North West of England will be taking part in a private pilot of the new application process for the EU Settlement Scheme.
In a managed live trial, EU citizens working at 12 NHS Trusts, and students and staff from 3 Liverpool universities, will be invited to make real applications for settled status through the new digital process.
It will allow those working on the scheme to test the system using real applicants and make improvements ahead of the launch of the scheme’s phased rollout towards the end of 2018.
Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes said:
EU citizens make a huge contribution to our economy and to our society and we want them to stay.
The EU Settlement Scheme will make it easy for EU citizens to get the status they need, and when it is launched they will only need to complete three key steps – prove their identity, show that that they live in the UK, and declare any criminal convictions.
We are inviting a small group of EU citizens to make an application to help us ensure the system will be ready when the rollout begins later this year.
This private pilot, which follows the standard approach for the launch of new Government services, will begin on 28 August 2018.
The initial pilot phase will be accessible by invite only. Up to 4,000 applicants will be able to apply on a voluntary basis.
Assuming they are eligible, all those who go through the process will be granted settled status.
Certain features to be included in the settlement scheme application process will not be available. Applicants will need to attend an appointment with a Home Office representative who will help to take them through the online application process.
The 12 NHS Trusts and three Universities that are taking part in the private beta phase starting from 28 August are:
- Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
- Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust
- Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust
- The Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust
- The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust
- Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Liverpool Hope University
- Liverpool John Moores University
- The University of Liverpool