Burnham urged to lobby EU leaders directly to waive EES border controls
16 reported
Andy Burnham has been urged to lobby EU leaders directly to suspend the new entry-exit system (EES) as the peak weekend for overseas holidays begins, according to a single-source report from The Guardian. About 2.2 million British holidaymakers are expected to head abroad between Friday and Monday, the majority to Europe, with all UK schools on summer break. Speaking at Heathrow airport on Friday, Liberal Democrats’ foreign affairs spokesperson Calum Miller said the prime minister needed to call on EU states to drop the “bungled, malfunctioning border system” until at least September. The EES, which requires non-EU citizens to register on arrival and be photographed and fingerprinted, has been technically in full force since April after launching last year, but border police have been allowed to relax requirements during extreme delays. Some passengers have missed flights while others have queued for several hours. The travel association Abta said Spain would be the main destination, with strong demand also for Greece, Portugal, Italy and Turkey. Greece has indicated it will not impose the additional biometric checks on UK nationals, while problems with technology provided to France mean automated booths at its borders are not working.
What’s reported
Andy Burnham has been urged to lobby EU leaders directly to suspend the EES.
About 2.2 million British holidaymakers are expected to head abroad between Friday and Monday, mostly to Europe.
Liberal Democrats’ foreign affairs spokesperson Calum Miller made the call at Heathrow airport on Friday morning.
The EES requires non-EU citizens to register, be photographed, and fingerprinted on arrival.
The system has been technically in full force since April after launching last year.
Border police have been allowed to relax requirements during extreme delays.
Some passengers have missed flights; others have queued for several hours.
Abta said Spain is the main destination, with strong demand for Greece, Portugal, Italy, and Turkey.
Greece will not impose additional biometric checks on UK nationals.
Problems with technology provided to France mean automated booths at its borders are not working.
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander has met EU commissioners and her French counterpart, speaking again last week.
A government spokesperson said the checks are a matter for the EU but the UK is doing everything to help travellers.
The UK has provided money for EES facilities and traffic management at the port of Dover.
French border police are not fingerprinting or photographing car travellers at ferry ports or the Eurotunnel terminal.
The port of Dover expects its busiest days on Friday and Saturday, with just over 10,000 cars, but queueing time has not exceeded 40 minutes.
EasyJet urged the EU on Thursday to extend flexibility to suspend the EES until the end of October.
Key figures
Andy Burnham (UK prime minister, as referred to in the article)
Calum Miller (Liberal Democrats’ foreign affairs spokesperson)
Mark Tanzer (chief executive of Abta)
Heidi Alexander (UK transport secretary)
Sources: The Guardian
