Why can't under-18's use e-Gates in European countries?
I recently came back through Dublin airport and used e-Gates. On one of the signs, it said that one of the requirements besides being an EU/EEA passport holder is that the passenger must be over 18yrs old. I also saw this while arriving in Schiphol airport in the Netherlands?
Why is this? One of my friends who worked in the airport told me that it's a measure to prevent children being trafficked or 'stolen' by one parent if the other doesn't agree. In other words, they have to meet an immigration officer who would question them with greater detail about their travel.
Children over 14 can travel unaccompanied to various countries so I don't see what other reason there may be for this rule
Best Answer
In France, the PARAFE system is open to people aged 12 or more when arriving in France but you have to be over 18 when departing. This fact suggests several things to me:
- The rule you observed is not universal in European countries,
- There is no technical impediment or performance issue so serious that it would rule out use by younger people,
- It does have something to do with concerns about minors leaving the territory
In many countries, the rules around that are a little more complicated than “children over 14 can travel unaccompanied”, which is probably why they are directed to a regular passport kiosk. Interaction with border guards can be an occasion to check whether a child is actually traveling alone or with an adult.
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