Some teething issues are still expected implementing the Entry/Exit System from November, as FRONTEX is delayed launching its biometrics app to pass checks inside cars at the border. The digital border control system will be phased into operation from November and no doubt cause some gridlock queues for instance at the Port of Dover as British travellers entering the EU will be required to exit their cars to carry out routine fingerprinting and identity verification. Frontex, who are developing the app, said it would not be ready in time for the arrival of the Entry/Exit System.
The blueprint for the EES wants to replace the current passport stamping system for travel into the Schengen Area, in favour of registering visitors’ biometric data.
The digital app, intended to streamline the process, won’t be ready in time, according to Doug Bannister, CEO of the Port of Dover.
While this summer will see no changes, the biometric rollout in November marks a “significant shift” in border procedures, according to the Guardian. The EU’s aim is to replace physical passport stamping with automated tracking of UK visitor stays in the Schengen zone.
As a busy border crossing, Dover is reclaiming 13 hectares of land and creating a “virtual border” system that pushes passport checks 1.4 miles further inland.
When the app is ready, border control officers will hold devices installed with the app to enable biometrics to be collected from each car in the queues at Dover.
“(It means) second, third, fourth time travellers still need to have a biometric captured at the border,” he said.
The backlog of cars at Dover will be temporarily pushed back, an initiative which is backed by both the UK and French governments to avoid safety risks of passengers exiting vehicles within ferry lanes already packed with 10,000 daily freight movements.
Passengers on buses will disembark for checks, then reboard vehicles that will be monitored with AI and number plate recognition as they re-enter normal traffic to reach the eastern ferry terminal.
By allowing biometric scans from within vehicles using tablets, the app will project only a six-minute delay per car. Until then, full biometrics checks outside passenger’s vehicles will be necessary.
