Calls for a Summer Pause to the EU Entry-Exit System as Britain’s Holiday Rush Begins

Ahead of the peak weekend when schools close for summer, Liberal Democrat foreign-affairs spokesperson Calum Miller urged Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to contact each EU leader and ask for a suspension of the EU Entry-Exit System (EES) until at least September. Miller described the system as a “bungled, malfunctioning border system” that threatens to ruin holidays for millions of Britons.

The Guardian

The EES, which requires non-EU citizens to register on arrival and undergo photography and fingerprinting, has been technically in full force since April after launching the previous year. Border police have been permitted to relax requirements only during “extreme delays.”

The Guardian

Travel association ABTA estimates that about 2.2 million British holidaymakers will travel abroad between Friday and Monday, mainly to Spain, Greece, Portugal, Italy and Turkey. At the port of Dover, officials expect the busiest summer days on Friday and Saturday, with just over 10,000 cars added to regular haulage traffic; queue times have ranged from 10 minutes to 40 minutes. Some passengers have already missed flights or faced several-hour waits. Greece has indicated it will not impose the additional biometric checks on UK nationals, while France reports technical problems with its automated booths.

The Guardian

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has met EU commissioners and her French counterpart to raise concerns about the system’s impact on the holiday period. French border police have chosen not to fingerprint or photograph car travellers at ferry ports or the Eurotunnel, allowing traffic to pass “smoothly” so far.

The Guardian

“While the new EES checks are a matter for the EU, we recognise this is a significant change for British travellers and are doing everything we can to get people away on their summer holidays with as little hassle as possible.” — government spokesperson

The Guardian