France and the UK have agreed to increase staffing at border controls in response to warnings of travel chaos caused by new fingerprinting and facial recognition checks.Disruption at Channel crossings is expected to rise sharply next weekend at the start of the summer holiday season, with MPs saying there would be “utter chaos and miles of tailbacks” unless the EU’s entry-exit system (EES) is fixed or checks are suspended.The EU has rejected calls to suspend the system, but French officials have reportedly assured the UK transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, that more staff will be deployed to ease queues.On Sunday, Alexander announced £20m of UK government funding to help reduce delays. The Department for Transport said the money would increase capacity for processing vehicles, reduce wait times and ease congestion.Alexander said her French counterpart, Philippe Tabarot, had agreed that high levels of resourcing at border points were essential to enable smoother journeys for passengers over the summer period.French border police have offered to put more of its officers on UK soil to ensure passport booths are better staffed at Dover, Folkestone and London St Pancras station, from where the Eurostar departs, according to the Sunday Times. The exact level of any staffing commitment from France is unclear.A spokesperson for the DfT said: “Heidi Alexander and her French counterpart agreed that high levels of resourcing at border points are essential to enable smoother journeys for passengers over the summer period.”Alexander told Tabarot that biometric kiosks used to take fingerprints and facial scans were not working.The DfT pointed out that checks could be carried out on coach passengers and lorries, by French border police on UK soil. But instead they are having to manually register car passengers without biometrics while the French authorities wait for new kiosks and tablets to be ready.Alexander said: “As well as the over £20m we have given to increase booths for passport checks and minimise disruption, I have raised holidaymakers’ concerns directly with the EU commissioner for transport to make sure they are playing their part to reduce delays during the busiest travel period of the year.“I will do everything in my power to help holidaymakers on their way.”The port of Dover said EES checks at the start of the May half-term holiday led to four-and-a-half hours of delays. It expects almost 50% more vehicles to travel through Dover this summer. About 12,000 cars a day are expected at Dover next weekend – more than three times as many than usual.On Tuesday, the EU said there were 20 “difficult spots”, which are thought to include Dover, caused by the new checks. But it dismissed a request by airports and airlines to suspend the EES.The new system is designed to address the weakness in border controls exposed by the terrorist attacks in Brussels and Paris in 2015 and 2016. It was delayed several times before it finally began being introduced in phases last October.Since April, UK passengers entering and exiting Schengen countries, have to register at the border by scanning their passport, plus having their photo and fingerprints taken.
Border Staffing Increases and Infrastructure Funding
UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander confirmed that the additional £20m in government funding is intended to improve vehicle processing capacity and reduce congestion. The move follows discussions with her French counterpart, Philippe Tabarot, who agreed that heightened resourcing is essential to maintain passenger flow during the peak summer travel season.
According to the Sunday Times, French border police have offered to deploy additional officers to UK soil, specifically at Dover, Folkestone, and London St Pancras station. While the exact number of personnel remains unconfirmed, the DfT stated that these measures are critical to minimizing delays caused by the upcoming implementation of biometric checks.
Challenges of the EU Entry-Exit System (EES)
The EES requires non-EU passengers entering or exiting the Schengen area to register via biometric scans, including facial recognition and fingerprints. Implementation has faced technical hurdles; Alexander noted that the current kiosks intended for these scans are not fully operational. Consequently, French authorities are currently forced to rely on manual registration for car passengers while awaiting the deployment of functional tablets and kiosks.
The EU has identified 20 “difficult spots” across its borders where these checks are expected to cause the most friction, including the Port of Dover. Despite formal requests from airlines and airports to suspend the system, the European Commission has maintained that the EES is a necessary security measure, originally conceived to address border vulnerabilities identified following the 2015 and 2016 terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels.
Projected Summer Travel Trends
The Port of Dover has reported that recent trial runs for the system during the May half-term resulted in delays of up to four-and-a-half hours. Projections suggest a 50% increase in vehicle volume this summer, with an estimated 12,000 cars per day passing through the port during the peak weekend—three times the typical volume.
Did you know? The EES was introduced in phases beginning in October of last year, marking a shift toward digitized border security that replaces traditional manual passport stamping for third-country nationals.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the EU Entry-Exit System (EES)?
The EES is a digital border control system that registers the entry and exit of non-EU citizens traveling to the Schengen area by recording biometric data, such as fingerprints and facial images.
Why are there concerns about travel delays?
The transition to biometric processing requires more time per passenger than traditional stamping. Without fully operational self-service kiosks, manual processing is expected to cause significant traffic congestion at major transit hubs like Dover and St Pancras.
Has the EU agreed to suspend the checks?
No. While individual member states like France are increasing staffing to mitigate the impact, the EU has rejected calls from the travel industry to suspend the rollout of the system.
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