U.S. Customs and Border Protection is rolling out facial biometric scanning for American travellers departing from airports in ten countries, including Bermuda. The contactless technology is being described as the next step in processing passengers at U.S. airports, with full contactless checkpoints seen as the direction of future travel screening.

The agency says the shift to fully contactless border checks reflects where passenger screening is going in the coming years. Officials have presented the rollout as a way to speed up the departure process for travellers.

The expansion comes alongside separate controversies involving the agency. A Texas man born in the United States was reportedly deported, a case that has raised questions over how deportation decisions are made and applied. Separately, a Somali football referee was turned away at the border ahead of upcoming World Cup responsibilities.