In what is the bonehead maneuver of the day (although UK Borders will call it “cost saving”), the IRIS Border Authentication Machines has been now confirmed as switched off at Birmingham and Manchester Airports by visitors to the Business Traveler forum.
What is more concerning are two other bits of information that have surfaced:
- No new registrations for IRIS will be taken at Heathrow or Gatwick
- Current IRIS Registrations will work until the completion of the Olympic and Paralympic Games
The idea behind IRIS is very simple. Take a picture of an eye scan (hence the term “IRIS”), Register that against a Passport and use that to go through an automated checkpoint that would allow you into the United Kingdom as opposed to waiting in line for time on end in the immigration queues.
And when I’ve used it – its worked. Even with glasses on. This is important.
Recently at Heathrow and Birmingham, E-Passport Readers have been installed. These require an E-Passport (one with a chip inside that isn’t secure), and for you to follow the instructions. And also to take glasses off whilst the facial recognition is done from the biometrics stored in the passport.
Now for those of us with deteriorating eyesight, this isn’t a good thing. Whilst I can make out things, my short sightedness is starting to haunt me.
The UK Border Agency states:
(it) “remains committed to the use of technology and automation at border control”
and
“We will provide details about the future of these services in due course”.
If that doesn’t sound like more E-Passport gates to you (with the limitations they have), I don’t know what does.