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British transport minister Heidi Alexander has raised concerns over the European Union's new digital border security check system with the EU transport commissioner, her department said on Tuesday, following reports of long waits at passport control.
The new entry-exit system (EES) checks require travellers to give biometric data, fingerprints and facial scans, as well as registering their passport, when they travel to Europe for the first time.
Airports across Europe have already seen long border queues thanks to the new biometric system, designed to make the EU’s borders more secure.
Passengers have reported missing their flights due to long queues, while budget airline Ryanair has warned of "queue chaos" from the new system, which it says is not ready yet.
On Monday, Britain pushed for larger French presence at EU border checks amid fears of more delays.
Now Alexander and EU commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas have said they will work together to ensure travel across the border is "as seamless as possible" during the summer holiday season and beyond, the government said.
The British government has announced £20 million in new funding to increase the number of booths for passport checks at the country's main gateway to Europe, the Port of Dover.
The majority of the new checks will be done in EU member states, but will take place in Britain for those using the ferry through the Port of Dover or taking the train into the EU, the government said.
"I was reassured that the EU commissioner for transport understood the concerns of holidaymakers and recognised the need for us to work together," Alexander said in the statement.
The EES became fully operational in April and applies to all 29 Schengen countries, most of which are EU member states.
Sir Roger Gale, the Conservative MP for Herne Bay and Sandwich in Kent, said the queueing at Dover could be dangerous even with the promise of extra help from the French.
He told The Times: “If you have elderly people, children and dogs in 12-hour queues with no lavatory facilities, inadequate water supplies, somebody will die, somebody will have a heart attack. I’m not overegging it. This is the stark reality.
“People will say, ‘Oh, Roger Gale is being alarmist’, but it is because Roger Gale is alarmed. I don’t want this to happen. Put the system on ice, get the technology right, make it work and then introduce it properly.”
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