The new digital system for entry into the European Union, which involves taking fingerprints and scanning faces, will be operational in the fall of 2024.
This is reported by The Guardian.
According to the media, the updated EES entry/exit system should be operational on October 6, 2024. Eurotunnel is currently testing a technology that will collect biometric data collected at the borders in a pan-European database. Travelers must agree to be fingerprinted and face scanned upon first arrival in bloc countries.
The test run, which was planned already this year, had to be postponed due to fears that the new system would prevent people from coming to the summer Olympics in Paris.
The digital system is expected to cause significant delays. According to Eurotunnelʼs calculations, the average time for a car to cross the French border will increase from less than 60 seconds to 5-7 minutes.
- In 2020, the European Parliament and representatives of the Council of the EU agreed on the reform of the Visa Information System (VIS). It is used for registration and verification of people applying for short-term Schengen visas and residence permits. The reform will allow more detailed verification of applicantsʼ data and ensure compatibility with other databases.