Boarder control fingerprints

[LoisPrice]

Just got off the boat in Caen, France 🇫🇷
Im British and passport same - no finger prints, no biometrics. Passport checked as normal and on my way.

so why are airport security causing such a fuss and people missing flights but boarder control at other places haven’t anything set up?

madness

Because they haven't rolled it out to all ferry ports yet. It's a phased roll out which started end of last year.

Sounds like they missed the deadline of 10 April to be fully operational - was there information at the port to suggest they are using the old system for this reason?

So which ferry ports have they rolled it out to? It was a 6 months phased roll out from October 25, the phased roll out is over

We almost missed our flight coming back from Tenerife to Bournemouth on Saturday. It was an absolute joke! This was in the under 12s queue as we have a 3 year old. They called up about 3 flights at once and the queue was huge. We queued for 45 mins and the only way we got anywhere was because my husband asked the Jet2 lady if we were going to miss our flight as it was due to leave in 10 mins. All the passengers around us heard and let us move to the front of the queue.

I know that they had technical issues at some ports. St Pancras also not in use.

I suggest you complain to Farage and his grifter mates, they're the ones who thought Brexit was a good idea, because we could control our borders, doesn't seem so clever now other countries are controlling their borders does it.

It's been implemented in all EU Schengen airports but they still have the right to pause it at any time. For some reason they've only rolled it out for coach passengers for ferries right now, not cars.

So in answer to your question, you've not been through it yet.

It would be poetic justice if Farage and Tice were to miss a flight because of the delays.

We had it at st pancreas all fine

We came through Dover last Friday & expected lengthy delays due to roll out there. There was nothing, passport checked as normal & on our way. We missed October as it was delayed then. I wonder if we’ll experience it on our return?

I went to the Netherlands via Harwich - Hook of Holland last November and they were using the EES system then. It did slow me down even though I'm an EU passport holder because there's only two lanes to queue in - but clearly some ferry ports are operating it whilst others are not.

As a pp said - blame Brexit and all the numpties who voted for it. We could have missed out on the nightmare if our voters hadn't been so stupid and gullible.

I might be wrong but I thought EES is entry to and exit from the Schengen zone so I’m confused as to why it would be done at UK ports or airports.
Rome last month seemed efficient - yes huge queue on arrival to do the EES, then another queue for the passport egate (failed to open so sent to another) then still saw a passport officer for stamping, an hour and 10 minutes for the whole process but no stress as not against the clock for anything.
going back at Rome our passports were stamped out. At UK airport went through normal passport control.

Caen is in France, part of the Schengen area it’s not a port on the uk

For ferries (like Eurostar) you do all the checks on the UK side. It's not like airports where you do them on arrival.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/eu-entryexit-system

"If you enter the Schengen area through the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel Le Shuttle at Folkestone or Eurostar, St Pancras International, any EES checks will be completed at the border, before you leave the UK."

Sorry, to clarify, you do the checks on the UK side before leaving.

We flew into barcelona on Monday. I got straight off and walked quickly, first one to the gates. I was fine and through in well under three minutes. Partner dawdled and was through in less than ten with a non conforming fingerprint. I can't see why it how the delays were so great elsewhere as it was quicker than normal.
We also got entried going through Prague in October but presumably weren't recognised here, or didn't need to do both parts so went through it again.

I suspect it's just because it's all new. I think people forget that the stamping used to take a long time as well and they tend to man up a bit more for it now and also I'm guessing it takes longer on the first time you register? I've not been through yet but doing so next week.

Also we're not hearing that 200 flights are having people miss them, it's one or two out of the 1000s flying in and out of the EU daily. A pain for the people who miss them for sure but it doesn't feel like it's the norm. It might get worse in summer though, I think that's the concern.

But only Dover. If you use other ports the checks are on the other side of the Channel/North Sea.

Fair enough, I can see why that is all rather confusing then.

It’s been like that on the train and at Dover and Calais for years. Whereby all the checks leaving are done by both countries on the same side. British customs are ferried to Calais and French Customs are ferried to Dover. No other port Dieppe, Le Harve, Carn, St Malo, Roscoff, Cherbourg, Poole, Plymouth, Portsmouth New Haven has ever had that system

I knew it was for some ports but not which ones. I've not been on the ferry for years but used Eurostar which uses the same system.

But anyway, back to your original post, it isn't in place yet. That's the simple answer.

The people who missed their flights in Milan was because all the EES machines had a system error so they had to do everything manually. As @Lemonthyme said, We're not reading about the 100s of flights that are going full with no missed passengers because that would be a boring news story!

I'm hearing stories of some people whizzing straight through, and other people queuing for 2+ hours and missing flights. I reckon it's the luck of the draw - depends on the airport, how many flights are arriving/departing, how up-to-speed they are on the new process, whether there are system errors etc. Some airports are stopping and starting the checks, depending how busy they are.

Trouble is, you can't rely on being one of the lucky ones. There are checks on arrival but also on departure on your way home. We're off to Seville in a couple of weeks and I'm slightly dreading it.

But it's mandatory only in airports for now, as far as I know.

Ah so it was because they didn't use the system they had delays? Makes more sense.

I do remember that years back I was flying as a teenager through Paris on my own (long story). They had a stupid amount of people going through security through one point in CDG and vividly remember being in the queue seeing the minutes count down. Fortunately I had a bag in the hold and they held the flight for me and some other passengers. With most flying with just hand luggage nowadays they'll just go.

There surely has to be some airport led compensation if it does happen. But the problem I guess is if the manual system is potentially slower, if they switch to that, they may not have enough staff. I guess they'll learn a lot in the next three months though before the REALLY busy time starts.

Can someone talk me through it like I’m a simpleton please?
i frequently fly to Spain multiple times a year to see my elderly mother.
im flying into Murcia tomorrow, and as much as I’ve read I don’t completely know what to expect.
I assume I get on the plane as normal and the drama will start at passport control.
do they take fingerprints and photos as a one off or will I have to do it again on my return?
I had it in my head that you register once and then just use scanning machines.
I’m not sure what to expect.
first time I’ve travelled in over fifty years with a little bit of uncertainty