Frontex warns EES border queues could persist for another two years

The EU’s biometric-based Entry-Exit System (EES) may continue to cause long queues at borders for another two years, a Frontex official has said. At the same time, the travel industry warns that queues could divert holidaymakers to other destinations, causing EU countries to potentially lose billions in visitor spending.

The EES is seeing different rollouts across Europe, with some states still struggling with the border scheme, according to Uku Särekanno, deputy executive director of Frontex.

“We expect the situation will stabilize in one or two years because the most challenging part is the first enrolment,” Särekanno said on Tuesday at an event organized by the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA).

The news that the EES could cause queues for two more years has raised concerns in the travel industry.

The World Travel & Tourism Council  (WTTC) warns that up to 41 million visitors could abandon their European travel plans due to the long queues, while US$45.4 billion in spending could be at risk should significant delays become persistent.

Last week, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said that waiting times for passport checks this summer could reach six hours.

UK-based airlines, including Ryanair, have been particularly vocal about the issues facing British travelers.

“If the EU’s own expectation is that queues will last up to two years, that’s not a teething problem – that’s a serious policy failure,” Tim Alderslade, the CEO of trade association Airlines UK, told The Times.

Europe has approximately 1,700 air, land and sea border checkpoints and inconsistencies in the technology have been causing delays and queues, notes Särekanno. Frontex is currently trying to ensure a “coherent approach” to border procedures.

According to the EES rules, all third-country nationals must register their facial and fingerprint biometrics every 3 years. However, since the system’s full launch in April, many border points have been collecting biometric data each time a traveler enters the country.

To prevent long queues, the European Commission has allowed all 29 Schengen countries that use the system to partially suspend EES operations throughout the summer. The EU, however, does not plan to soften the new border regime after September, notes Särekanno.

ABTA and other industry partners have been trying to change this decision by lobbying the European Commission to extend contingency measures while issues remain

“It is ultimately a political decision for the Commission and member states to determine these matters,” says Luke Petherbridge, the organization’s director of public affairs.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), on the other hand, has been calling on the EU to prioritize adopting the EES pre-registration app, Travel to Europe, and urging member states to boost operational readiness at border crossings, including ensuring fully functioning equipment and sufficient staffing.

“By making greater use of digital pre-registration tools, improving traveler communications and ensuring operational readiness at border crossing points, Europe can reduce friction and deliver the seamless experience travelers expect,” says Gloria Guevara, president and CEO of WTTC.

A survey conducted by the organization across more than 2,500 travelers from the UK, U.S., Canada and Australia showed that around one-third could give up plans to travel to the Schengen Area if they face regular border waits of three to four hours.

Greece walks back on EES waiver for Brits

Among the countries facing the longest queues due to the EES are popular tourist destinations such as Spain, France, Portugal and Greece. Last month, Greek officials announced that the country would exempt British visitors from submitting biometric data when arriving in the country for summer holidays, sparking speculation that other countries might do the same.

Soon after, however, the Greek Foreign Ministry said it had no information that “specific nationalities are temporarily exempt from the relevant procedure.”

European and Greek authorities note that suspensions of the EES are permitted only during periods of high passenger traffic at specific entry points and do not apply to any country or nationality, according to Greek newspaper Ekathimerini.

Similar messaging is coming from Croatia, another tourist hotspot that was rumored to be waiving EES registration requirements for UK tourists. Schengen countries can only apply temporary relief in special cases, such as long waiting times at border crossings, the Croatian Ministry of Interior clarifies.

“The mentioned model can be implemented in a time-limited scope, a maximum of six hours in extraordinary circumstances that lead to such dense traffic that the waiting time at the border crossing becomes too long,” the Ministry says. “This specifically means the creation of an EES personal file without excluding [sic] biometrics.”

Border authorities are still required to scan travel documents and record the visitor’s time of entry, The Sarajevo Times reports.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  border security  |  Entry/Exit System (EES)  |  Europe  |  Frontex  |  WTTC