Immigration Controls: Biometrics
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department holds on the use of UK e-gates by nationals of countries that do not offer reciprocal access to UK passport holders; and what assessment has been made of the potential merits of introducing reciprocity requirements.
Answered by Mike Tapp
The Government operates the UK border solely in the best interests of the UK, not the principle of reciprocity as this could undermine our security and ability to respond to emerging border pressures or threats.
We recommend all eligible nationals make use of eGates where possible, as they provide a safe, secure and efficient method of entering the UK, however, we continue to keep eGate eligibility under review to ensure we are balancing border security and passenger flow
In May 2025, we published the Immigration White Paper, which stated we are moving to the next phase of our vision to transform the UK border, by using technology to increase the use of automation and make visible changes to security, flow and the passenger experience.
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