Gatwick airport descended into scenes of chaos last night after eGates appeared to fail for travellers at passport control.
Families on flights landing early on Tuesday were forced to form ‘disgraceful’ massive queues.
Calling the scene a ‘shambles, they complained there were not enough desks open – meaning vulnerable passengers had to wait to get through – with others saying they had to queue for 40 minutes.
Sources told MailOnline there had been issues with the eGates in the North Terminal last night.
The photos taken by passengers and posted to Twitter are reminiscent of the chaotic scenes and queues when mass air travel restarted in spring 2021 following the easing of lockdown rules.
Queues at London Gatwick airport’s passport control today as passengers arrive on flights
People wait in lines for passport control at Gatwick this morning
Twitter user MrsD83, who arrived in the early hours of today, posted this picture
Passenger Kleo Kaloudi, who arrived at Gatwick today, told MailOnline: ‘The UK has to be the only country where families and young children are treated this way.
‘The queue at Gatwick airport passport control for families is a disgrace. Every other country I have travelled to gives priority to families with young children.
‘England is the only country that make you sit in large queues for long hours with small children – inhumane. No family values left in this society.’
Another arrival, Miriam Norgate, of London, who is head of operations for the charity Malaria No More UK, tweeted: ‘The only country we’ve landed on with queues for passport control. Literally about 1,000 people in the queue for UK citizens only as eGates have failed. Sort it out.’
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She added: ‘Only two single toilets. Next ones 100m and three out of four not working. No special help for families with small kids. UK, you are failing us. Come on. Give up eGates. Use real people.’
Twitter user MrsD83, who arrived in the early hours of today, added: ‘Gatwick airport passport control is a shambles.
‘Two family flights full of your most vulnerable passengers in the early hours and four out of 20 passport windows open.’
Others tweeting photos of the queues this morning included Mark Harris from Bristol, who wrote: ‘Gatwick airport, why is there a standstill at passport control?’
And Lola Ripolles, who is based in London, added: ‘Movement at Gatwick passport control this morning… 40 minutes in line… a whole choreography of travellers moving through the tapes.’
A further Twitter user from Bradford, West Yorkshire, said: ‘Gatwick airport, shocking experience at passport control one person on passports for a huge line of families with children. Disgusting and a joke of an airport.’
It is not yet known for how the disruption lasted, but photographs of the large queues were posted on Twitter between 1.30am and just before 9am.
Passengers have previously endured chaos due to eGate issues, most notably in autumn 2021 when they failed three times in as many months.
The eGates are managed by the Home Office’s £372million central UK-wide security database – known as Border Crossing – which came into use in June that year.
There are more than 270 of them across 15 air and rail ports in Britain and they have been in place for UK and European Union nationals to use since 2008.
Passengers can use eGates if they have a biometric symbol on the cover of their passport and are a British citizen; a national of an EU country, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the USA; or a member of the Registered Traveller service – for those who frequently leave the country.
You have to be aged at least 18 to go through by yourself, but those aged 12 to 17 can go through when accompanied by an adult. Heathrow trialled a scheme earlier this year during the February half-term for them to be used for children aged ten and 11.
A Home Office spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘Border Force’s number one priority is to maintain a secure border, and we will not compromise on security.
‘We are working hard with Gatwick Airport to ensure passengers have the smoothest possible journey, and we will continue to deploy our staff as flexibly as we can.’
Gatwick declined to comment.
