UK to spend £10.5m on new EU border checks

The government is to provide £10.5m worth of funding to prepare for new EU border checks this autumn.

The Port of Dover, Eurotunnel at Folkestone and Eurostar at St Pancras will receive financial aid to help reduce queues for travellers.

From the autumn, travellers from the UK and other non-EU countries will have to go through a new digital border system called the Entry/Exit System (EES), which is being brought in by the EU.

This will involve having your photograph and fingerprints taken.

The government money will be spent on providing ports with the necessary technology to complete these checks.

The scheme applies to British people and other non-EU nationals entering a European country using the EES for a short stay.

They will need to register fingerprints and a photo with their passport details to proceed with travel.

Every time those travellers enter or exit a participating European country, this will be recorded. Once they have given their fingerprints and details, that registration will be valid for three years.

During that time it must be validated every time someone crosses the border. This will replace passport-stamping.

In most cases the EES checks will happen when you arrive at an international airport but if you're travelling via the Port of Dover or an international train then the checks will take place in the UK.

The technology that ports will use to take biometric data of travellers has not yet been confirmed.

It was previously suggested that a gadget similar to an iPad could be used to take fingerprints.

'Queue times kept to a minimum'

The EES was originally meant to begin in 2022 but it has faced many setbacks.

It had previously been rescheduled for May 2023, then the end of 2023, and now is expected to come into force in November 2024.

Lilian Greenwood, Future of Roads Minister, said the government had been reviewing the EES plans to ensure "registration can be smooth and queue times kept to a minimum".

"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," she added.

Eurostar chief safety and stations officer Simon Lejeune said the government had supported an upgrade of its technology and facilities to meet the requirements.

“Eurostar will be fully prepared and compliant by November, ensuring a smooth transition for all our passengers," he added.

Emma Ward, chief operations officer for the Port of Dover, said the port was doing all it could to be "ready with the facilities that will be used by French border officials operating the new system".

Each port is set to receive £3.5m of the funding, which is the first of its kind aimed at preventing EES-related delays.

The government money will be used by Dover to help pay for a marina to be filled in, in order to provide extra space for coach passengers to be processed.

Eurostar and Eurotunnel will use their share to pay for technology and staff training. Eurotunnel will add more kiosks if needed.

All three have already invested tens of millions of pounds of their own money on preparing for the new system.

Getlink, which manages Eurotunnel, started work two years ago to adapt to EES changes.

"The focus has always been on customer satisfaction, delivering the most competitive crossing time and experience at the border for non-EU travellers," Yann Leriche, chief executive of Getlink, said.