UK/EU border biometric checks pushed to end of 2023; plan still has foes

The introduction of the European Union’s Entry/Exit System (EES) at the Port of Dover has been delayed once again, reports the BBC.

Previously scheduled to be introduced by late May this year, the biometric border system now is planned for some time this year if no further delays occur.

The news comes from eu-LISA, the EU IT management agency focused on freedom, security and justice, according to the BBC, which confirmed contractor delays had made May “no longer achievable.”

The EES requires travelers to the UK and other non-EU countries to have their fingerprints and face recorded. This information must be validated with every trip and rescanned every three years.

The head of the port, Doug Bannister, is not a fan.

Bannister called biometric screenings for the EES “unsafe” a year ago, claiming that the port did not have space to allow travelers out of their vehicles to present themselves to a border officer.

He has also alleged that it could take 10 minutes to register one car carrying four people. And the scanning and verifying system would be designed for an indoor airport environment, presumably because most such systems are told to airport operators today. The differences could cause delays.

Multiple EU nations have expressed worries that the biometric program may add to border wait times, as well.

According to the BBC, a spokesperson for the UK government claimed Tuesday that passengers would “not experience unnecessary delays at the border.”

The technology and products that will be used to capture biometrics have not been announced to the public.

Article Topics

biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  border security  |  Entry/Exit System (EES)  |  eu-LISA  |  Europe  |  port security  |  UK