EU Border Control Times Triple with New Digital System

The European Union's new digital Entry-Exit System (EES) has tripled border control times for non-EU citizens entering the Schengen Area. Many travelers from the UK to Europe have complained about long queues during passport control, while airports and airlines say the system has not yet reached the desired level. Ivan Bassato, Aviation Director of Rome's Fiumicino Airport, stated that integrating the new system with electronic passport gates has significantly improved the process. However, Bassato noted that waiting times of one or two hours are unacceptable, saying, 'Some aspects of the system need to be fixed urgently.' Pedro Oliveira, Border Control Chief at Faro Airport in Portugal, acknowledged that the new system sometimes experiences technical issues.