A new EU digital border system that will require fingerprints and facial scans to be taken from British travellers on first use is expected to launch next autumn, according to reports.
The entry/exit system (EES) is earmarked to start on 6 October 2024, according to the i and Times newspapers, citing Getlink, the owner of Eurotunnel. The Guardian has contacted Getlink for comment.
Eurotunnel, which runs a car transport service between Folkestone and Calais, is said to be testing the technology, in which personal data will be collected at borders and entered into an EU-wide database.
Under the EES, passengers would have to agree to fingerprinting and facial image capture the first time they arrived on the continent. After that, the data, including any record of refused entry, should allow quicker processing, according to travel bosses.
The original planned rollout, which had been scheduled for this year, was delayed amid fears it could disrupt travel to next summer’s Olympics in Paris.
The system is expected to cause significant delays. The Port of Dover has previously estimated the additional requirements were likely to add up to 10 minutes for a family of five in a vehicle on their first trip after the EES is introduced, compared with about 45-90 seconds.
Eurotunnel reportedly estimates the average time for processing a car through the French frontier will rise from less than 60 seconds to 5-7 minutes.
According to the European Commission, the system will apply when entering 25 EU countries (all member states apart from Cyprus and Ireland) and four non-EU countries (Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Lichtenstein) that are part of the border-free Schengen area along with most EU member states.
The checks will take place in England as the UK government has reciprocal agreements with France that the French authorities can operate border checks at UK departure points into the EU – in this case the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel and Eurostar.
Representatives from Eurotunnel previously told a House of Lords committee the risk was not within terminals. “It is what happens when the enrolment is happening at the French booths, which blocks the exit check booths for the UK, which in turn blocks check-in and then creates queues leading up to the check-in that back up on to the motorway. That then puts static passenger traffic on the high-speed motorway,” they said.
Once the EES is up and running, the EU will move on to introducing its European travel information and authorisation system (Etias), which applies to non-EU citizens from 60 countries that have visa-free travel with the bloc.
Etias, which is modelled on the US Esta scheme, means non-EU travellers will have to fill in a form and pay €7 (£6) before entering Europe’s passport-free zone. The fee will apply to everyone aged between 18 and 70 and is valid for multiple visits over three years. In most cases approval is expected to be granted within minutes.
