EU's new border system for Brits will be 'a disaster'

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy PERKIN AMALARAJ, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 14:59 BST, 25 June 2026 | Updated: 15:08 BST, 25 June 2026

The head of Rome's airports company has warned that the EU's new border system for Britons and non-bloc citizens is going to be a 'disaster.'Under a new scheme, non-EU citizens must have their fingerprints and photos taken when they first enter its borders. The system was repeatedly delayed, eventually being rolled out in mid-April. But its launch has been marred by poor tech that has resulted in long queues even outside peak tourism seasons. The shocking performance of the new scheme has led to some airports suspending some of the checks. Marco Troncone, CEO of Aeroporti di Roma, told the FT that the only way to avoid the impending 'disaster' in the coming peak travel weeks is to allow passengers to skip the new entry-exit system (EES). He told the FT: 'We are very worried for the summer'. Troncone added that on a scale of one to 10, his concern sits at 'eight or nine.'The airport boss, who is in charge of Fiumicino airport and the smaller Ciampino airport, said: 'The process proves to be incompatible with the peak volumes that we are going to face. 'So the only way is to open up the valve. There is no way that we can deliver 100 per cent of the enrolment.' Under a new scheme, non-EU citizens must have their fingerprints and photos taken when they first enter its borders (File image of queues at Brandenburg Airport in Berlin) The shocking performance of the new scheme has led to some airports suspending some of the checks (File image of queues at Amsterdam Schipol Airport) The system was repeatedly delayed, eventually being rolled out in mid-April (File image of queues as Brussels Airport)Troncone isn't the only one who has complained about the issue. Speaking at an event in Prague, the president of Airports Council International (ACI) Europe, Stefan Schulte, said: 'Passengers are queueing for hours at peak traffic times and I just do not know how we will be able to cope in the coming weeks with the expected increase in traffic.'He added that the EES should be suspended by Border Force when needed to avoid chaos, adding that 'this is about showing respect and decency for those who chose to travel to the EU, and safeguarding our reputation as a welcoming and efficient destination.'Christophe Mathieu, chief executive of Brittany Ferries, said the company shared airlines' concerns about the rollout of the EES and was worried by the way it was being introduced.Speaking on BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday morning, he said that what Brittany Ferries had seen so far was troubling, because it increased the time needed to leave the port by around 50 per cent.He argued that the run-up to summer was not the right moment to be finalising a system that should already have been tested and fully in place.Mathieu said the rollout would come as an unwelcome surprise for tourists and that Brittany Ferries had repeatedly raised its concerns with authorities in Paris, Brussels and Madrid over the way the EES was being implemented. Although officials had said they were working on the issue, he suggested there appeared to be a disconnect between those assurances and the reality on the ground.He said Brittany Ferries believed there was a practical solution, suggesting that fingerprint and facial checks could be carried out during ferry crossings, with customs or border force staff operating booths on board, allowing passengers to disembark seamlessly on arrival at port. Vehicles queue to enter Greece at the Evzoni border crossing The EU recently completed the rollout of its Entry-Exit System (EES), which requires travellers from outside the bloc to register biometric informationHe said the company had put forward the idea, but it had so far failed to gain traction.The disruption is already visible, as earlier this month, a Ryanair flight heading to the UK from Greece took off without dozens of its passengers on board due to 'mega queues' at passport control.Authorities at Athens International Airport were forced to step in after 20 to 50 travellers booked onto the flight to London Luton were left stranded on Sunday.Ryanair blamed border delays for the chaos, while the airport said it had been experiencing congestion linked to the introduction of the EES.