Overview
- Border checks using the EU Entry/Exit System, which records non‑EU visitors’ passport data, fingerprints and a photo, have produced hours‑long queues at several entry points since wider rollouts this spring.
- The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has warned travellers about long delays at Copenhagen airport while passengers and travel agents report missed connections and multi‑hour waits in Portugal and other hubs.
- Airlines including Ryanair and Jet2 have publicly called for a pause to full EES enforcement until after the summer peak, arguing that staffing, broken kiosks and flight surges are worsening queues.
- National authorities are using temporary site‑by‑site measures such as manual checks, assisted lanes and short suspensions, and Portugal’s prime minister has said suspension is possible if congestion continues.
- The European Commission counters that EES checks average just over one minute and is not the sole cause of delays, but officials and industry groups warn that further coordination and capacity fixes are needed before the summer travel peak.