UK says disruption likely when EU’s new travel checks for Britons start – ET TravelWorld
Britain is insufficiently prepared for the European Union‘s new post-Brexit border security checks for UK nationals entering the bloc and disruption is likely when they are introduced in late autumn, the UK government warned on Monday.
Britain voted to leave the EU in 2016 and formally left the bloc’s single market in 2021.
The EU’s European Entry/Exit System (EES) will remove the requirement to manually stamp passports at the EU’s external border and instead create digital records that link a travel document to a person’s identity using biometrics.
It will require non-EU citizens arriving in a Schengen area destination (most EU countries) to register their fingerprints, provide a facial scan and answer questions about their stay.
On departure, travellers’ details will be checked against the EES database to confirm compliance with existing rules on time limits of stay and register departure.
Britain’s new Labour government said it was supportive of the aims of the EES but not content with the level of preparations put in place by the previous Conservative administration.
ARMENIA-EU/VISAS (PIX)EU says it will start talks with Armenia on visa-free travel. Visa liberalization would allow Armenians to make short visits to countries inside the EU’s Schengen Zone – which is free of internal borders – without needing a visa. Several other post-Soviet countries, including Moldova, Ukraine and Armenia’s neighbor Georgia have been granted such regimes.
“The system will increase processing times at Schengen area border crossing points, and insufficient progress has been made on ensuring that these impacts are minimised – with disruption likely when the scheme is introduced,” Junior Interior (Home Office) Minister Seema Malhotra said in a written statement to parliament. She said this was particularly true for journeys involving travel through the UK’s three ports with so called “juxtaposed” frontier controls – Eurostar at London St Pancras, Eurotunnel in Folkestone, and the Port of Dover – where EES registration will be required on departure from the UK, conducted by French officials.
Malhotra said the government was taking steps to improve preparations and levels of readiness.
These include expanding the French border control zone at the Port of Dover to reduce the risk of queues at peak times, working closely with the French government on implementation plans at the juxtaposed frontiers, preparing communications to raise awareness amongst the UK travelling public, and engaging with EU member states to lobby for a more pragmatic approach when the new rules are introduced.
Related
‘I visited the European country everyone loves but I have…
This full-time traveller has been to 163 countries, but she says one of the most popular is one of her least favourites.Alyssa Ramos, 36, has been travelling th
How to travel in Europe on a budget
Europe is an ideal holiday destination thanks to its close proximity, its history, culture and beautiful landscapes and while a European adventure may seem
The European countries that are best and worst at speaking…
Since English is the most commonly spoken second language worldwide, Brits often rely on speaking it while travelling abroad, especially if they are not familia
