The European Union’s Entry/Exit System (EES), which is to be phased in from October, will include passengers having their photo and fingerprints taken when travelling to the EU
A long-awaited, much-delayed border system that will govern travel to the whole of the European Union is finally about to begin, and I had a sneak peek at how it will work.
The EU’s Entry/Exit system will finally kick into gear on October 12, having first been scheduled to begin in 2022. On Wednesday morning, Simon Lejeune, chief safety, stations, and security officer at Eurostar, was on hand to unveil the kiosks that will start collecting Brits’ data next month.
The major worry is that the system will gunk up ports, further aggravating the travel chaos that has become a familiar part of summer holidays since the coronavirus lockdowns. My big takeaway from the early look at EES at St Pancras, and my prediction for its rollout, is that these fears are overblown.
Eurostar and St Pancras have thrown a huge amount of cash at the problem, installing speedy kiosks to deal with the extended border process. If things go unavoidably wrong, as inevitably they will, then extra guards are on hand to manually process passengers.
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Other stations and airports in Europe may be a little less prepared, but only time will tell how big an impact they will face.
Another of the big surprises of the day came when Mr Lejeune explained quite how staggered the roll-out will be. Only Eurostar’s Premier and Carte Blanche customers will be asked to use the EES from October 12. Some normal ticket holders may be asked, but it’s likely very few will.
At that point, biometrics such as fingerprints won’t be taken. That will only begin midway through December, and not for all passengers using EES.
Come January, all kiosks at Eurostar’s St Pancras and Gare du Nord terminals will be switched on, and wider passenger sign-up will begin. Fingerprints will be taken, and all eligible customers will be encouraged to pre-register before border control.
Once you’ve done it once, you won’t have to do it again for another three years. Technically, that should mean that border checks are quicker, as border officers only verify the data of those registered.
Mr Lejeune explained that registration should take about two minutes per person, meaning the process of getting through border control would take a little longer if you’ve not gone through EES before.
When we got a chance to see one of the 49 new kiosks installed at St Pancras in action, the process was significantly quicker. From start to finish, it took just over a minute. If something does go wrong, such as the machine failing to recognise a passport, then a bolstered team of human border guards will be on hand to help. The number of guard booths has been doubled from nine to 18.
If something goes even more wrong, on a systemic scale, such as the e-gates passengers will have to pass through after registering at the kiosks switching off, ports have the power to pause the EES temporarily up until July next year.
Mr Lejeune described this as a “firebreak” which could be used to avoid travel chaos if the system does not work as smoothly as hoped.
Another major detail that stood out is the fact that many ports won’t be using the kiosks. Eurostar’s other main terminals – Brussels, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Lille – will use only human border force to collect the data when required.
The EES will track the entry and exit of “third-country nationals” into and out of the Schengen area, replacing the need for passport stamps. One of its main purposes is to digitise travel records to ensure that the limit on the number of days (90 out of a 180 day period) non-EU passport holders can stay in member countries is not breached, while increasing border security.
Data will normally be stored on file for three years. Those who refuse to provide data will be denied entry.
This process will happen at EU borders, which for most travellers will be on arrival at an airport. For example, you’ll be checked when you land in Mallorca, rather than at Stansted when you depart.
However, there are a handful of places on British soil where “juxtaposed” EU controls apply. That means where French border force check incoming travellers on British soil. These are the Dover ferry port, London St Pancras for Eurostar passengers and Folkestone for LeShuttle services. Passengers travelling through these ports will register their details through the EES before departure.
This week Eurotunnel chief executive Yann Leriche has said the new system will have a “minimal impact” on customer experience, adding just two minutes to the average journey from his terminals in Folkestone and Calais.
“As you will see, EES will have a minimal impact, not exactly zero, but a minimal impact on the time to cross the Channel,” Mr Leriche stated.
He also expressed concerns that some other border operators expected to launch the EES on October 12 might not be as prepared. “Anyone who is not ready is not because it was impossible or a huge challenge,” Mr Leriche commented. He later added “they are just saying they didn’t do a good job” and suggested his competitors perhaps thought that “by ignoring it, it would go away by itself”.
Eurotunnel is set to kick off the processing of coaches and lorries with the EES on 12 October, with plans to start registering car passengers before the year ends. The goal is to have everyone using the new system by April next year.
The company’s version of the system, which cost a hefty 80 million euros (£70 million), is designed to process 700 vehicles an hour, utilising 224 kiosks at peak times in the Folkestone terminal.