New EU border checks could cause four hour waits and cost UK economy £400m, industry figures warn
British travelers visiting countries such as Spain, Portugal and Italy have been urged to prepare for four-hour queues when the new EU border system comes into force on Sunday, while industry bodies have warned delays could cost the economy £400 million.
The Entry Exit System (EES) means UK travelers must have their fingerprints recorded and photographs taken to enter the Schengen area, which consists of 29 European countries, primarily the EU.
While the Home Office said the extra checks “should only take one to two minutes” for passengers, it acknowledged it could lead to “longer waits at peak times” and travel firms warned passengers to allow four hours for the checks to take place.
Meanwhile, it is feared long delays by hauliers could cost the UK economy millions.
The analysis, carried out by Logistics UK with independent modeling experts MDS Transmodal, estimated that delays of around 90 minutes for the 3.35 million HGVs passing through the Short Straits in 2023 would cost the economy £400 million a year.
Josh Fenton, Policy Manager at Logistics UK, warned: “This is a cost that the logistics industry cannot afford, particularly as our members already operate on incredibly tight margins and face rising operating costs that are putting pressure on their ability to continue trading.
“It is vital for our industry that the UK government maintains close communication with its European counterparts to ensure that Member States’ readiness testing, at its core, includes the smooth flow of freight and trade across the Channel, a critical UK EU supply chain route,” he added.
The Liberal Democrats called on the government to negotiate with the EU to enable pre-checks of HGVs away from the UK/EU border, pointing to the Logistics UK figure.
They calculated that the £400 million that could be lost due to delays could fund more than 16,000 new nurses for the NHS.
Al Pinkerton, the party’s European spokesman, said: Independent: “It is completely unacceptable that the UK is losing nearly half a billion pounds because the government has failed to properly negotiate with the EU on its new entry programme. This is another obstacle to growth.
“This money could have flowed back into our economy to support struggling companies and public services at home. Instead, it now risks being lost in long queues as the flow of trade is blocked at the border.”
He called on ministers to “make urgent deals to help exporters move quickly across the border” and also called on them to “get the EU to sign off on an exemption for professional drivers for British hauliers – ensuring our businesses are not hit by restrictive new rules on working in the EU.”
It comes after Tom Jenkins, chief executive of European travel association Etoa, said the phased rollout of the EES was a “complete mess”.
The EU is introducing the system in phases; Participating states are initially required to use the system only for part of their arrivals. The deadline for full implementation is April 10 next year.
But Mr Jenkins said: “We’re not getting any information. It’s all [the EC and EU member states] “They say it will be available starting October 12, but it is not very clear who will do this.”
“It’s a complete mess. It can’t be a partial system, that’s what they’re trying to do: start registration, get electronic records even if there’s no proper registration. So they’re going to register people and at the same time stamp their passports,” he added.
For most travelers to the UK, the EES process will take place at foreign airports. UK passengers boarding international services from London’s St Pancras railway station, the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel’s Folkestone terminal will complete EES checks in the UK.
New kiosks have been installed at these locations, but only some passengers will need to use them from Sunday.
Julia Lo Bue-Said, managing director of Advantage Travel Partnership, a network of independent travel agencies, said: “For major airports in Southern Europe, we recommend travelers now allow four hours to navigate the new system in these initial stages.”
It warned that “delays should be expected” at border controls if multiple flights arrive at similar times, and “we anticipate potentially very high passenger volumes during the first flight”.
Ms Lo Bue-Said added: “This situation will be resolved over the next few weeks as staff and passengers become accustomed to the new procedures.”
An individual’s EES registration will be valid for three years, but their details will still be verified for each trip during this period.
The system will eventually replace the requirement for border officials to stamp passports.
Mark Tanzer, managing director of travel trade organization Abta, said: “In the long term, EES should make processes for travel to Europe faster and simpler.
“Looking at the short term, given the scale of the operation, there may be some delays, especially during peak travel hours.
“However, countries will gradually accelerate their processes and have the option to withdraw the system to avoid significant and long waiting periods.
“We ask countries to be cautious and use this emergency measure when necessary.”
The Ministry of Transport was contacted for comment.
