EU rejects suspending biometric border controls despite 20 ‘difficult spots’

Under the EES system, non-EU passengers have to register fingerprints and facial images the first time they enter the Schengen zone. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA View image in fullscreen Under the EES system, non-EU passengers have to register fingerprints and facial images the first time they enter the Schengen zone. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA EU rejects suspending biometric border controls despite 20 ‘difficult spots’ Officials admit new post-Brexit EES system is ‘not perfect’, as airports and airlines voice fears over delays The EU has rejected calls by airports and airlines to suspend the implementation of new fingerprinting and facial recognition border controls even though it admits there are “20 difficult spots” with queue chaos. With only a week to go before the peak summer holiday season starts, EU officials admit the new entry/exit system (EES) is “not perfect” but will tell travel industry representatives that a full suspension is “not needed” and “not possible”. Under the EES, non-EU passengers have to register fingerprints and facial images the first time they enter the Schengen zone and then have their biometrics verified every time they leave and re-enter. What are the new EU border checks and how will they affect your summer holiday? Read more Airlines and airport representatives and the International Air Transport Association (Iata) last week demanded a suspension of the new controls until next summer amid fears of chaos in holiday hotspots. Iata said passengers were experiencing “delays and missed connections” in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece and Belgium, while last week last week Ryanair warned last week of “queue chaos” in airports including popular holiday destinations such as Málaga, Alicante and Palma. However, EU officials say it is impossible to have the system open in some countries and not in others as it would lead to the “unfortunate situation of travellers stranded at border crossings”. This could happen, for example, if a passenger from Britain entered the Schengen area at a border where the new controls were operational but left via a border where they were not. In this instance they would be at risk of being registered as overstaying their 90-day travel allowance in any 180-day period and refused entry on a future trip. The EU is also reportedly delaying the introduction of a separate pre-authorisation visa system known as the European travel information and authorisation system, similar to the US Esta system, according to the Financial Times. Officials said that out of the 1,500 border crossing points, only 20 were “difficult spots” and it would put pressure on those member states responsible to put measures in place to ease the pressure. One of the sites with the worst delays was a small regional airport where 3,000 passengers arrived an hour and could not be assessed quickly because of space, officials revealed. Lisbon had already eased its queues by deploying extra workers and 50 new Frontex border agency s