Some European countries have begun to temporarily abandon the new EES biometric control system due to multi-hour queues at airports and mass delays of passengers on flights. Some states have already returned to the regular passport checks. This is reported by The Sun.
Europe faces problems due to the EES system
The new Entry/Exit System provides biometric checks for citizens of non-EU countries.
Due to additional controls, some airports have experienced queues of up to four hours. Passengers complain that due to delays, they have started to miss flights en masse.
The situation is particularly difficult at the airports in Portugal and Greece during the tourist influx.
Which countries have abandoned biometrics
Italy, according to the publication, plans to temporarily suspend mandatory biometric checks during the May holidays. Instead, border guards will continue to stamp passports.
Portugal has not completely abandoned the EES, but has allowed the temporary suspension of biometric control in case of large queues.
The most problems have been recorded at the airports of Lisbon and Faro. Some passengers report that during peak loads, they were allowed through without using biometric terminals.
Earlier, Greece also made a similar decision. In April, the Greek authorities confirmed that British tourists are temporarily exempt from biometric registration at the border.
«The Greek National Tourism Organization remains committed to ensuring a pleasant journey for all visitors from Great Britain», — said the director of the Greek tourism organization in Great Britain, Eleni Scarveli.
The EES system is gradually being implemented in the European Union to automate border control and record the entry and exit of foreigners.
For Ukrainians, this may mean a temporary simplification of border crossing in some EU countries during periods of high tourist traffic.
It should be noted that in Poland, the first results of the EES system, which monitors the entry of foreigners into European Union countries, were summarized. Since the launch, the new system has already recorded nearly 6.8 million border crossings, and thousands of people were denied entry.