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Europe’s new biometric border system has prompted warnings of longer queues and disruption from countries and airport operators as millions of non-EU travellers face the first summer adapting to new checks at the bloc’s external borders.
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Particular attention has been given to Britons, who are among the largest groups of non-EU visitors to the bloc during the summer months.
However, for the most part, the reports of delays are not dissuading British adults from carrying out their travel plans, according to a new YouGov survey.
Among Britons planning to travel to Europe during the next 12 months, 64% said they would still travel as planned, while 41% said they would allow additional time for their journey.
What is the EU’s Entry/Exit system?
The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES), which became fully operational in April, replaces manual passport stamping with digital entry and exit records, including biometric information such as travellers’ fingerprints and facial images.
It is designed to non-EU nationals who are entering and leaving the Schengen Area for short trips of up to 90 days within any 180-day period, whether they require a short-stay visa or are eligible for visa-free travel.
The system’s rollout has not been without controversy, as airports and airlines have repeatedly warned, including in an open letter, that technical issues and the extra time needed to collect the biometric data have led to longer queues and disruptions at borders.
Nevertheless, the European Commission has called the EES system a “major milestone” in modernising and “enhancing the security of Europe’s external borders.”
In early July, it announced that registering biometric data could be “temporarily suspended” during periods of “exceptionally high pressure”, such as overwhelming lines at a particular border crossing.
British travellers are among the largest groups impacted by the changes, due to the volume of Brits that head to the EU, particularly during the summer months.
YouGov’s survey found that, out of respondents who had travelled to Europe during the previous month, 36% said they had queued to provide biometric information such as fingerprints or a facial image.
Another 30% reported longer queues at passport or border control, while 16% encountered additional passport or document checks.
However, 37% said they experienced no issues at border control points. When asked about the effect of EES on their overall journey, 27% said it increased their travel time and 19% said it caused stress or anxiety.
Another 16% said the checks delayed the start of their holiday, while 11% said the experience had made them worry about travelling in Europe in future. Slightly more than half of recent travellers, 53%, said none of the listed impacts applied to their trip.
Is the EES changing future travel plans?
The survey suggests that reports about EES are having a greater impact on how Britons prepare for European travel than on whether they will travel at all, with nearly two thirds of those preparing a trip to Europe saying they would still journey as planned.
Meanwhile, 41% said they would allow more time for their journey.
Smaller proportions said they might travel at a different time of year, at 8%, choose a destination outside Europe, at 5%, or delay making a booking, at 4%.
None of the respondents said they had cancelled plans to visit Europe because of reports about EES.