European Union border rules threaten to create chaos for British holidaymakers later this year. The new regulations mean travellers from Dover or on Eurostar or Eurotunnel trains will have to get their fingerprints and a photo of their face taken before departure.
But the new rules could result in long delays, with Ashford council in Kent warning a “reasonable worst case scenario” would see 14-hour-long waits at Dover.
The Entry/Exit System (EES) is due to start on October 6 after being delayed a number of times over concerns about data privacy and technical issues.
It had been scheduled for introduction in 2022 across the EU’s border-free Schengen zone. This October was selected to avoid disruption to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Natalie Elphicke, MP for Dover, told the Telegraph: “It’s really important the Government keeps its foot on the pedal in the next few months and presses the EU on this.”
She warned that there is still much to be done between now and October.
Lucy Mayor, who speaks for Kent Resilience Forum, said measures allowing lorries to park on the M20 may be put into practice to alleviate the burden on Dover once EES comes into effect.
But according to the Telegraph, any disruption is likely to hit private vehicles as most lorry drivers who cross at Dover are EU citizens.
Ms Mayor said Kent Resilience Forum, which oversees emergency planning on delays at Dover, said the agency is hoping for the best but planning for the worst.
She added: “Truckers tend to be fairly self-sufficient, but these will be ordinary families just trying to get across the Channel.”
EES aims to track people travelling from non-EU countries whose citizens don’t require a visa to enter the bloc. It is due to replace checking and stamping passports.
French border officials stationed at Dover will carry out the checks, with people leaving by plane and on most other ferry routes having checks done on arrival overseas.
Efforts to minimize disruption at Dover will see travellers having their details taken while waiting for their ferry.
Gavin Jones, Head of Immigration at law firm Osborne Clarke, said there is much scope for things to go wrong.
Eurostar has plans to install nearly 50 kiosks at St Pancras station to accommodate the new rules.
