Chaos at UK airports as the national border system fails

(CNN) – A problem with the national border system has affected electronic gates at British airports, causing chaos among tourists and passengers arriving in the country.

Pictures on social media showed long lines at major airports, with many seeking to fly ahead of a public holiday on Monday, and schools also took half-term breaks.

The ruling means travelers must check their passports manually rather than having them scanned automatically.

“We are aware of an issue with the nationwide border system affecting arrivals into the UK,” a Home Office spokesperson told CNN in a statement on Saturday.

“We are working to resolve the issue as soon as possible and are in contact with port operators and airlines to minimize disruption to travelers,” the spokesperson added.

A spokesperson for London Heathrow Airport said: “We are aware of a nationwide issue affecting the electronic gates, which are operated by Border Force.”

This issue affects multiple ports of entry and is not specific to Heathrow. Our teams are working closely with Border Force to help resolve the issue as quickly as possible and we have additional colleagues on hand to manage queues and provide for passenger well-being.”

Lucy Morton, of the Immigration Services Union, told BBC Radio 4 that, depending on the airport, between 60% and 80% of passengers pass through electronic gates.

“There is no impact on national security, in fact it will improve national security because every arriving passenger will be seen by a human being, not a machine,” he said.

But it will create queues and that in itself creates its own set of problems. People get frustrated, they take it on the staff. Employees are verbally attacked, sometimes employees are physically attacked, and they are beaten. It will all begin to sequence throughout the day.”

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