UK sets to spend £10,5 million on new EU border checks; queue times kept to a minimum
By Anna Akopyan •
Published: 28 Aug 2024 • 13:56
• 2 minutes read
The UK sets to spend £10,5 million (€12,5 million) on new EU border checks to make queue times kept to a minimum, starting in November 2024.
UK EU border checks; who is affected?
From November 2024, all British or non-EU nationals will have to go through a self-service kiosk each time entering the Schengen Area. Those excluded are travellers with long-stay visas or EU residents. All EU member states will participate in the new regulation, except Cyprus and Ireland, as well as the non-European countries in the Schengen Area; Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
Every time British or non-EU travellers will enter or exit a participating European country, they will have to undergo a digital border control system, called the EES (Entry/Exit System), which involves passport scanning as well as taking a photograph and fingerprints. The process will be recorded and valid for three years, during which the travellers will have to validate their registration each time they cross the border.
The Port of Dover, Eurotunnel at Folkestone, and Eurostar at St Pancras will receive financial aid by the UK government to help reduce EES-related queues and delays, with each port set to receive £3,5 million (€4,2 million).
Why place the UK EU border checks?
The EES, initiated by the EU, was meant to launch in 2022 but had faced setbacks, becoming rescheduled for May 2023 and then the end of 2023, but will finally be brought in November this year.
Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood said the UK government had been reviewing the new system to ensure that registration can be smooth and queue times kept to a minimum. She emphasised; Nobody wants to see excessive queues at our ports, which is why we´re providing this funding to ensure our borders are as prepared as possible for the upcoming change despite EES being an EU initiative.
The manager of Eurotunnel, Getlink began working on adapting to the EES changes back in 2022; the chief executive Yann Leriche stated; The focus has always been on customer satisfaction, delivering the most competitive crossing time and experience at the border for non-EU travellers.
Not only will the new border security system identify travellers who overstay their legal time in the EU but will also enhance safety measures in border crossing. The EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson explained; With the EES we will know exactly who enters the Schengen area with a foreign passport. We will know if people stay too long, countering irregular migration. And the EES will make it harder for criminals, terrorists, or Russian spies to use fake passports thanks to biometric identification, photos, and fingerprints.
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From Moscow to Costa Blanca, Anna has spent over 10 years in Spain and one year in Berlin, where she worked as an actress and singer. Covering European news, Anna´s biggest passions are writing and travelling.
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