The Home Office confirmed the minimum age for using the e-gates will be lowered from 10 to eight across more than 290 e-gates at UK airports and juxtaposed border controls in Europe. Children must still be at least 120 centimetres tall to use the biometric scanners and will need to be accompanied by an adult.

The change is expected to allow an additional 1.5 million children a year to pass through automated border controls, easing congestion at peak travel times.

E-gates are installed at 13 UK airports, including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Stansted, Birmingham, Glasgow and Newcastle, as well as at juxtaposed border points in Paris and Brussels.

This update arrives amid ongoing scrutiny of border technology across Europe, including the EU's new Entry-Exit System. The system's "mounting issues" during its staggered rollout – including three-hour delays and regular outages – resulted in trade body Airports Council International urging authorities to address the "significant discomfort" inflicted on travellers. 

Meanwhile, Greece has temporarily suspended the system for British travellers in a bid to ease congestion and remain commercially competitive ahead of the summer period.