France and the United Kingdom have agreed to increase the number of staff at the border due to possible delays related to the EU's new biometric border check system. This is reported by UNN with reference to The Guardian.
It is known that Britain will also allocate over 20 million pounds (23.4 million euros) to reduce queues. This is because an increase in traffic on routes across the English Channel is expected with the start of the summer holidays.
Details
Representatives of both countries warn of the risk of congestion without the proper operation of the EES system. Despite this, the EU refused to suspend it, but France promised to increase the number of border guards, particularly in Dover, Folkestone, and at St Pancras station.
In Dover, UK, an increase in traffic is expected. This summer, traffic could rise by almost 50%, and in the coming weekend, up to 12,000 cars per day are expected. Previously, checks have already caused delays of up to 4.5 hours.
Regarding the 20 million pounds that official London plans to allocate from the state treasury, it is known that the funds will go towards increasing the number of passport control booths and speeding up checks.
According to the country's Transport Minister, Heidi Alexander, this is necessary for stable traffic in the summer.
She also noted that the biometric terminals are not working properly, so some passengers are being registered manually.
Context
The EES system involves the registration of non-EU citizens with biometric data. Its implementation has already caused difficulties at a number of border crossing points, but the EU has refused to temporarily suspend it.
Reminder
Earlier, Ryanair warned of chaos at EU airports due to the new biometric control system. The carrier called for the suspension of the EES until September due to the risk of long queues and missed flights.