Travellers are to be charged at least £5 to get through passport checks quickly at all British airports, with some paying as much as £17.50, it has been reported.
The charge is an attempt to cut queues. But unions called it a gimmick and accused the government of failing to properly fund border controls.
At Gatwick airport, passengers face having to pay £17.50 on top of the price of their airline ticket to go into a fast lane through passport control on arrival and through security on departure.
The scheme could also mean that those who do not pay are forced to wait even longer if staff are diverted to running the premium system and not replaced.
It was reported last month that Edinburgh airport was adopting the system and Gatwick’s service was advertised last year. Now, the Sunday People reports, the scheme is to be rolled out across every UK airport.
A spokesman for the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union said: “This is a ridiculous idea that exposes just how understaffed our borders are. What happens if everyone opts to pay £5? We’re back to square one.
“Instead of gimmicks like this, the government needs to properly invest in staff to work at ports and airports because the shortages are there for all to see.”
And Mark Gribbin, chairman of the ISU, which represents borders, immigration and customs workers, said staffing levels were inadequate.
“There are simply not enough staff. Our members are working hours on end under oppressive, often hostile conditions,” he told members.
“Managers are under severe pressure to contain queues, creating still more pressure for frontline staff. It’s only a matter of time before (there is) serious public disorder and, who knows, even mass breach of the border.”
At Gatwick, the system involves giving those who have paid extra an “exclusive lane through passport control” and, in order to guarantee fast passage, it is limited to 50 people per hour.
The rollout follows a government consultation in 2013, in which the possibility of charging for quick passage through passport control was raised. The government had been running a similar system at some border crossing points, but was only charging travellers what it cost to run.
In the consultation document, the government suggested increasing the price and using the money it raised to “help fund the immigration system, secure the border and invest in improving processes”.
The Home Office has not responded to the Guardian’s request for comment. A spokesperson told the Sunday People that 27mn people had used e-passport gates in the past year and that the fast track passport control at Edinburgh would provide “a quick, secure and convenient route through the border”.