EU to Roll Out Biometric Checks for Non-EU Travellers

Non-EU travellers will soon face an extra layer of scrutiny when entering the political bloc.

Naturally, this will include Britons, given the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union in 2020.

Fingerprint scans and facial recognition will soon become the norm, rather than simple passport stamps.

Rollout to Begin in October

The European Union has confirmed it will begin phasing in its new biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) from 12 October.

Over the next six months, the scheme will be gradually rolled out at airports, ferry terminals, and land crossings across 29 European countries.

The goal, Brussels says, is to modernise border controls and reduce illegal overstays.

The system will log the entry and exit data of non-EU nationals visiting the Schengen zone, replacing physical passport stamps with a digital trail. Visitors will need to submit either a fingerprint scan or a facial image when entering for the first time.

For frequent travelers, the EES is pitched as an innovative and efficient upgrade. For everyone else, it may be another Brexit-era headache.

Already in Use in London

Already, fingerprint scanners have appeared at London’s Eurostar terminal, and kiosks are being built in Dover for car, coach, and truck passengers.

However, crucial parts of the infrastructure—such as the long-promised mobile app—are not yet ready.

That’s because immigration remains a national competence, and each country is still figuring out how to plug the EU’s new system into its own.

The travel industry, still recovering from the chaos of the Covid era, was hoping that the technology would be ready for a smooth mid-October rollout.

Still, with the launch months away, they are no doubt fearing the queues, delays, and confusion that often accompany such shifts, especially at bustling ports like Dover and Calais..

While this new system could hypothetically aid the authorities in flagging illegal overstayers or people making repeated entrances without formal residency, it is unclear whether this will stop real criminals in their tracks or simply cause hassle to regular tourists.

‘Such checks will have no bearing on people who make maritime crossings into Europe, who arrive without documents to seek asylum, or those who work illegally while claiming asylum.

Immigration Controversies Continue

It’s also a reality check for British citizens. Once able to breeze through European borders, UK nationals are now firmly on the outside, subject to the same checks as other “third-country” travellers. The days of casual, frictionless travel are over.

The planned EES rollout could hardly come at a more politically charged moment.

Tensions with Russia are soaring, and questions over immigration continue to spiral. Some activists also fear Brussels is gearing toward a controversial digital identity regime that could threaten personal liberties.

As it stands, this scheme appears to be another layer of bureaucracy for law-abiding individuals, rather than a threat to criminals.

About the Author:

Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education.

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