Biometric checks stalled again for cross-Channel travellers | European Union
Passengers crossing the Channel from Britain to France will not face new biometric checks in the coming weeks, ports say, despite an imminent deadline for the full implementation of the EU’s entry-exit system (EES).
Airlines and airports across Europe fear chaos over the Easter holidays.
The EU will formally require biometric information from all valid travelers (most non-EU citizens, including Britons) at the border from 10 April. The gradual introduction of the system has already caused long delays at some airports.
But it has emerged that passengers on Eurotunnel’s Le Shuttle service, cross-Channel ferries or Eurostar will face no changes due to delays in France developing the technology needed to collect and process biometric information.
Sources at the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel said France had not yet provided them with the technology.
Wet stamping of passports will continue at the French border in England for cross-Channel train, shuttle and ferry passengers. Only truck drivers, bus passengers and ferry passengers who have been checked by French border authorities since November will be subject to EES formalities.
Despite the system’s recent apparent halt, EU websites still state that visitors to the Schengen area after April 10 must provide biometric information upon entry. Home Office advice published last week told UK travelers they should allow more time for checks. However, Eurostar and Eurotunnel said passengers should continue to arrive at the time specified on their travel tickets.
EES was introduced in a phased launch in October, years later than planned, but its rollout has varied across borders across Europe. At some airports, including Lisbon and Brussels, passengers were delayed for hours as border authorities insisted on biometric checks, including fingerprints and facial ID. Machines not yet used at other airports were installed.
Getlink, which owns Eurotunnel, invested at least £60 million in kiosks at Folkestone and Coquelles in France to ensure the Shuttle was ready for opening at the EES last autumn, while Eurostar spent around £10 million at London’s St Pancras on automated kiosks that remain closed.
The Port of Dover reshaped its road plans and built new EES-ready structures. A spokesman said the port was “working closely with our French border agency partners to ensure a smooth launch of EES for tourist passengers, which includes resolving existing issues with French technology and waiting until extensive testing can be carried out in Dover.”
Eurotunnel said the EES “will take a new operational step on 10 April, with the Police aux Frontières starting to create the EES files”, but added: “This phase will not include biometric data collection.” LeShuttle customers won’t see any changes, a spokesperson said.
Eurostar said it was “working closely with French and EU officials as we continue to introduce the next phases of the system”. He added that “the registrations are currently being completed manually by French border officers in St Pancras, London.” He added extra lanes to the border but said his focus was “in line with authorities’ priority of maintaining border fluidity as enforcement progresses.”
The EU has told border officials they can use discretion to relax rules if queues form, at least until the end of July.
However, European airlines and airports are still concerned about increasing EES during the holiday period.
Trade bodies A4E, which represents Europe’s biggest airlines, and ACI Europe, which represents airports, issued a joint statement this week citing “persistent operational challenges” and predicting passengers will face increasing delays from Easter. They called on the European Commission to continue allowing a full suspension of the EES if the need arises, arguing that long border queues have become the norm and are undermining air travel.
Michael O’Leary, chief executive of Europe’s largest airline Ryanair, said the EES had caused queues of up to four hours at some airports, describing the system as a “shitshow and a mess” and a punishment for Brexit. He said the EU should delay full introduction until October.
The European Commission was approached for comment.
