A new airport security trial is set to begin at Gatwick Airport, which will see passengers having their fingerprints taken and recorded.
Air passengers arriving on flights from Sierra Leone with biometric visas will be the first to be put through the BioDev process, which is designed to test the effectiveness of border security .
Anyone found attempting to enter the UK illegally through the trial will be refused entry.
Liam Byrne, Britain’s Immigration Minister, visited Gatwick's North Terminal to see how digital photographs and fingerprints were cross-checked.
Liam Byrne said: "New fingerprint visas are fast becoming our first line of defence against illegal immigration ."
"By establishing people's identities beyond any doubt before they enter the UK we can stamp out multiple applications and identity fraud, ensuring entry only to those who are welcome."
Compulsory fingerprinting is now part of the UK visa application process in more than 100 countries and has resulted in around 8,000 sets of prints matched to individuals of concern.
The Gatwick trial is expected to continue until April 2008.
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