Jeremy Clarkson has taken a dig at Brexiteers over delays at European border checks, saying: “Hope you’re all enjoying the queues!”.
What did Clarkson say?
The former Top Gear presenter and star of Clarkson’s Farm wrote on X: “Brexit enthusiasts: I hope you’re all enjoying the queues at your holiday airports this year.”
Mr Clarkson, who last month revealed he is in remission from prostate cancer, previously said he can’t get on with people who voted for Brexit. “It’s not so bad if they put their hands up and admit they made a mistake,” he wrote in The Times last year. “But if I encounter someone who still thinks it was all a brilliant idea, I get so cross my hair catches fire and my teeth start to itch.”
What is the Entry Exit System?
British holidaymakers have been caught up in lengthy holdups at airports across the continent after the European Union introduced its new Entry Exit System (EES). The EES, which was fully rolled out in April, sees travellers from third-party countries — such as the UK — have their fingerprints registered and photograph taken to enter the Schengen Area, which consists of 29 European countries, mainly in the EU. If the UK had remained part of the bloc, then Britons would not be subject to the additional checks.
For most UK travellers, the EES process happens at foreign airports. However, it is also carried out at the Port of Dover, as well as Eurotunnel’s Folkestone terminal and London St Pancras railway station.
After using the EES more than once, the photo of a British traveller's face and/or fingerprints will already be recorded in the system. Passport control officers will then only verify fingerprints and the photo, which should take less time. Biometric passport holders can also use the self-service system which is often faster.
Sometimes, Britons and other travellers from third-party countries may also be asked to provide either their fingerprint or photo when leaving the Schengen Area.
Impact on travellers
Some fliers have even missed flights back to the UK as a result of EES queues, like more than 100 passengers who missed their easyJet flight from Milan back to Manchester earlier this year.
Britain voted to leave the EU in a 2016 referendum. To mark the 10th anniversary, the Express launched its “Gives Us a Proper Brexit” campaign.
