Iris recognition to be installed across UK airports

Iris-recognition technology will be used for immigration control across the UK's main international airports following a successful trial of the system at Heathrow.

The Iris Recognition Immigration System (Iris) will be rolled out over the next year, starting with terminals two and four at Heathrow Airport. Birmingham, Gatwick, Manchester and Stansted will then follow.

The Home Office said enrolment for the system will be voluntary, with a campaign due later this year to encourage non-European citizens who regularly travel to and from the UK to sign up.

Those accepted will have their eyes filmed using a standard video camera to capture their iris patterns and this data will be stored alongside personal details. They will then be able to enter the UK through a special fast-track immigration control using an iris-recognition camera.

The Heathrow trial in 2002 was a joint project by the BAA, the Immigration Service, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic and it registered 200 selected transatlantic passengers.

Immigration minister Des Browne said Iris will increase security and speed up the immigration process at airports.

He said in a statement: "More than 90 million people pass through our immigration controls every year. In our era of mass global travel, those numbers are set to rise, with increasing numbers of people wanting to visit the UK on holiday, to study and to work. We need to ensure that our controls are robust enough to let in only those with the right to be here, and efficient enough to process legitimate passengers quickly."

Sagem SA has won the five-year contract to provide the iris-recognition system for the Home Office.