EU Softens New Border Checks for UK Travellers as EES Launch Slips Again

Plans for tougher post-Brexit checks on travellers entering Europe from the United Kingdom have been delayed yet again, and the final rules have been watered down amid fears of long queues at the border. The Independent understands that the new target date for the Entry/Exit System (EES) is Sunday 10 November 2024, with a "last resort" option to postpone by a further week to 17 November if member states are not ready.

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What the entry-exit system is meant to do

EES has two stated aims: to automate checks on people entering and leaving the Schengen area so that overstays are detected, and to strengthen border security by registering the fingerprints and facial biometrics of every non-EU traveller crossing legally. British passport holders, who became "third-country nationals" after Brexit, will be by far the largest group affected.

The scheme has been repeatedly pushed back, having originally been due to launch in 2021. It applies across the Schengen area, which includes Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and every EU nation except Cyprus and Ireland.

A 'relief valve' to ease the queues

The original design was a "big bang": from day one, biometrics would be collected from every traveller on first arrival at any external frontier. That demand has now been softened, possibly for up to 18 months. Under the new approach, a "relief valve" will let officials excuse many people from fingerprinting and a facial photo when checkpoints get too crowded.

In "exceptional circumstances", which have not been defined, as few as one in ten travellers could be asked to register their biometrics. Local immigration officials will set the appropriate share, anywhere from 10 to 100 per cent, depending on how busy the crossing is. There is particular concern about the juxtaposed controls at the Port of Dover, the Eurotunnel terminal at Folkestone and the Eurostar hub at London St Pancras, which were designed on the assumption that British travellers would face only light-touch checks.

What happens next

After a traveller's first registration, later visits will require only one biometric, most likely the facial image. Once EES is running, the EU plans to introduce the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), an online permit resembling the United States' ESTA. British passport holders will need to register online before travelling and pay a fee, set at €7 at this stage. To see how these two systems fit together, read our plain-English overview of EES and ETIAS.