Heathrow airport has quietly introduced the system, which will fast-track foreign nationals who agree to use it. It is hoped the scheme will eventually give immigration officials more time to check potentially suspect travellers flying in and out of Britain.
The system, in operation at terminal 2 and terminal 4, requires passengers to have their eyes photographed in advance to capture their unique iris patterns. Once registered on a database they can go through immigration control more quickly using a dedicated iris scanner channel.
Only 48 passengers are registered to use the system now but the Home Office hopes that 1m people will be able to use it within five years.
If the voluntary trial at Heathrow is a success, iris recognition is expected to be extended to the airport’s two other terminals, as well as Stansted, Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham airports by the end of the year.
“Biometrics such as iris recognition, fingerprinting and facial recognition technology will be increasingly used across the world as a more secure method of verifying identity,” said Tony McNulty, the immigration minister. “This will facilitate travel by legitimate passengers, improve security and reduce identity fraud.”
Advertisement
Passengers wishing to register must be able to show that they have “a track record of complying with the UK’s immigration laws”. Those taking part include foreign nationals who reside in Britain, businessmen who regularly visit and those who hold a work or student permit.
Information compiled on candidates for the iris register is checked against various “watchlists” of terrorist suspects and stored on a central immigration database.