Technical problems with Border Force e-gates lead to long queues and delays at airports.

A “nationwide issue” with Border Force e-gates has caused significant disruption at airports across the UK. The Home Office acknowledged a “technical issue” affecting the e-gates, which are used to scan passports, and confirmed that it was working with Border Force to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.

On Tuesday evening, social media footage showed long queues forming at London’s Heathrow Airport, where passengers were impacted by the malfunction. A Heathrow spokesperson confirmed that the airport was working with Border Force to address the issue and support affected passengers.

Stansted Airport also reported the nationwide issue, and its spokesperson said that operational and customer service staff were assisting passengers while the issue was being fixed.

Passengers at several airports, including Gatwick and Heathrow, faced long waits at passport control, with some being diverted to manual processing. Sam Morter, arriving at Heathrow from Sri Lanka, described the scene at Terminal 3 as “pandemonium,” with Border Force officials scrambling to manage the influx of passengers.

The disruption follows a recent strike by Border Force workers at Heathrow over working conditions, further complicating the situation. The union had protested against planned changes to rosters that would affect around 250 workers at passport control.