The new European border control system, EES, has nearly tripled the time British passengers need to pass through border control at Rome’s Fiumicino airport, Ivan Bassato, the airport’s director of operations, told the BBC.
The digital entry and exit system (EES) has been gradually introduced at the borders of the Schengen area, which covers 29 European countries, since October. It requires third-country nationals to register fingerprints and photographs upon entry, with data verified upon exit. Registration is usually carried out at standalone kiosks, while children under 12 must see a border official.
Bassato noted that the time taken for British passengers to pass through border control increased from seven to 20 minutes, despite improvements. Fiumicino has invested €12 million in kiosks, but they proved impractical for large numbers of passengers, so British citizens can now register fingerprints and photographs at electronic gates. "We are not at the level of process quality that existed before EES," Bassato said, adding that parts of the system need urgent repair.
Multi-hour queues have been recorded at some European airports during border control, with some passengers reporting missed flights. Ryanair warned British passengers this week to allow extra time for travel to Europe this summer and to prepare for longer waits, calling the system’s introduction a failure. Border police in Faro, Portugal, confirmed to the BBC that the technology has glitches, but stated that queues there are quickly decreasing.
The European Commission stated that disruptions at most airports in the European Union are limited and that it will continue to support member states in implementing the system.
Bassato believes that double checks should be removed from the process and that more countries should use the European pre-registration application for passengers, currently used only by Sweden and Portugal. Airports and airlines are also asking the Commission to allow states to temporarily suspend the system ahead of peak periods.
