Waiting times for British holidaymakers at passport control have tripled due to the EU’s new border system, an airport boss has said. Travellers have been hit with severe delays across Europe due to the Entry Exit System (EES) this summer.
How the Entry Exit System Works
The system requires non-EU citizens entering the Schengen area to provide their fingerprints and a photograph upon arrival. This information is then checked when they leave. For most Brits, this process occurs at foreign airports, with the digital record kept for three years.
Impact on Waiting Times
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), an airline industry body, recently warned border queues could reach six hours this summer. Ryanair has warned its passengers they face long waits at airports due to the new rules. At Rome’s Fiumicino airport, the EES has been integrated with passport control barriers and standalone kiosks. However, the waiting times for UK citizens to get through passport control has risen from seven minutes to 20 minutes, according to the BBC. This means queues take almost three times as long as normal.
System Inefficiencies
Many border points are reportedly collecting the same initial scans multiple times. The system has caused delays in airports, and at borders where there are French checkpoints on UK soil, like at the Port of Dover. The Police Aux Frontieres have deployed more staff to UK-based checkpoints to manually register those leaving for France.
Government Response
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander brokered the agreement for the increased presence with her French counterpart Phillippe Tabarot, ahead of the summer holidays. This extra presence will be in place while the French border force awaits the installation of new passport booths and tablets. Ministers have announced they will provide £20 million of funding to increase the number of booths, on top of £10.5 million they have already put towards preventing disruption.
