Post
by secret.simon » Sun Feb 20, 2022 7:52 am
Airport queues are primarily for the convenience of the Border Force staff. If they can predict the type of person in the queue, they can streamline their processes and their staff at that counter would develop a routine to deal with the queue more expeditiously. So, for instance, checks in a queue for non-EEA citizens would be very different from those for British citizens, etc.
I would go in the other direction from @alterhase58 and suggest that both of you process through the Non-EEA citizens queue (i.e. the more scrutinised queue of the two). It is perfectly possible for the Border Staff officer at the counter for British citizens to ask either your wife alone or both of you to go to the queue for non-EEA citizens when you reach the front of the British citizens queue. Dealing with a non-EEA citizen person at the British citizens queue will simply hold up that queue and the Border Force officer may be reluctant to do that.
In any case, whenever I have come through a UK airport, I and the vast majority of British and EEA citizens use the E-Gates, bypassing the counters completely anyway. So eitherways, I doubt it will make much of a difference.
I am not a lawyer or immigration advisor. My statements/comments do not constitute legal advice. E&OE. Please do not PM me for advice.
