London fears there will be congestion and chaos at British ports in three months’ time unless the EU again postpones plans to introduce a biometric traveller registration system requiring face and finger scans, The Guardian reports.
From October 6, all non-EU citizens will have to use biometric technology and fingerprints as part of the new European entry/exit system.
The introduction of the scheme is seen as a critical time when British citizens – as opposed to businesses – will suddenly feel the impact of the end of freedom of movement on their daily lives. Part of the problem is that the app produced by the EU and Frontex, which should simplify the process of registering individual data, is not quite ready yet.
The app aims to allow non-EU citizens to register their data before travelling to save time at border crossings.
The scheme could also be an early test of whether the new UK government’s proposal to work more closely with the European Commission could ease inherited headaches like this one. Rishi Sunak has privately pushed for the EU to give UK citizens full access to the bloc’s electronic gateway, but this has proved politically unfeasible.
From the EU’s point of view, the benefit of the scheme is that it would be a practical step against illegal migration into the bloc and would make it easier to control non-EU nationals from exceeding the maximum length of stay. It will also reduce the need to stamp passports with entry and exit dates.
The scheme has been in preparation since 2017 and was due to go live in 2021. The latest postponement – until October – was made after France asked to delay the introduction of the scheme until after the Paris Olympics.
It is due to be introduced just three weeks before the October holidays, leaving little time to troubleshoot before the influx of passengers.
On first check-in, travellers will have to undergo a fingerprint check and hand over facial biometrics. Subsequent visits within three years will require a facial biometrics check at the automatic passageways.
On each new visit, the passport will be renewed for a further three years until it expires.
UK officials fear that if the predicted chaos at border crossings such as Folkestone and Dover occurs as many in the travel industry fear, the current government, rather than Brexit supporters in the Conservative Party, will take the blame.
The UK does not object to the scheme in principle and recognises that there have been numerous delays previously. But it is concerned that the inefficient implementation of the scheme will not help anyone.
A recent survey by the UK Department for Transport found that 69% of the UK population had not heard of the European entry/exit scheme and 15% said it was likely to make them travel less.
Getlink, the rail company that operates the tunnel under the Channel between France and the UK, is already building multi-million pound processing centres in Folkestone and Calais to handle the scheme. However, the most serious delays could occur at the UK border at the port of Dover.
Dover could face serious problems due to the large number of vehicles it handles and a lack of space. Last week, Kent County Council leader Roger Gough and Doug Bannister, chief executive of the Port of Dover, warned the UK government that the introduction of the system could end up disrupting the UK supply chain.
Shortly after the system is introduced – in mid-2025, according to the latest plan – potential UK visitors to the Schengen area will also have to apply online for entry clearance.
The Schengen area includes most of the 27 remaining EU members (but not Cyprus and Ireland), as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
