From October 6 this year, people travelling to Europe will have to register their fingerprints and a photograph alongside their passport. The introduction of the new scheme for people travelling to and from the UK at airport and ferry terminals could cause delays of up to 14 hours, and the possibility of civil unrest, separate warnings from both sides of the channel have suggested.
The European Commission says the new entry/exit system, known as the EES, is an automated IT system that will register travellers, visa holders and visa exempt holders every time they cross an EU external border. The system will register the person’s name, type of the travel document, biometric data (fingerprints and captured facial images) and the date and place of entry and exit.
It will also record refusals of entry. The system will replace the current system of manual stamping of passports, which the commission say is time consuming, does not provide reliable data on border crossings and does not allow a systematic detection of those who have exceeded the maximum duration of their authorised stay. It will also prevent irregular migration, it is claimed.
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The EES applies to anyone who is a non-EU national travelling to a European country using the EES for a short stay of up to 90 days within any 180 day period. Non-EU passport holders will register for EES — either at a kiosk or in-person with a border officer — on arrival in Europe. Eurostar passengers, those taking ferries at Dover or catching the Eurotunnel shuttle at Folkestone in Kent, will give their information on British soil.
Last week David Cameron, the UK’s foreign minister, warned of disruption to passengers. He said: “I think we’ve made some progress, but there are some big choke points at Dover and St Pancras — and I’m really worried about there being long delays for people. I think it’s clear to me that the technology still needs testing and improving.”
The new scheme could cause waits of up to 14 hours at border controls from Britain including the Port of Dover and St Pancras, where the Eurostar runs from. Ashford Borough Council told Parliament’s European scrutiny committee that 14-hour delays were not “unrealistic” and that could be even longer if there were “extra aggravating factors” such as weather. Delays of up to 15 hours were recorded in summer 2022, Roger Gough, leader of Kent County Council said.
There have been multiple episodes of gridlocked traffic at the Port of Dover and surrounding roads in recent years, with post-Brexit checks adding to waiting times. There is also a new warning that there could civil unrest at airports, according to French officials. The Times has reported today there are serious concerns about backlogs at airport arrival halls. The foreign secretary recently said he was “really worried’ about “long delays” for travellers.
This has been echoed by officials in France, where there is increasing concern that “serious operational problems” could lead to backlogs of holidaymakers and a subsequent collapse of public order, The Times has reported today. Patrice Vergriete, a French transport minister, told aviation executives last week that he “fears problems”, adding: “We are aware of the risk in terms of passenger fluidity. It is a challenge and we must not get this wrong.” He added that “disruption to public order” could not be ruled out in event of long delays or a technology failure.
The countries where the EES will be in place
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland