Published on
07/07/2026 - 9:00 GMT+2
As the holiday season peaks, the grand vision of smart EU borders has collided with a physical breakdown, risking the travel plans of millions. Welcome to the premium queuing experience.
The automated network is now live across 29 European nations. And since the rollout, the digital net caught 40,000 border refusals and identified 1,000 security risks. To Brussels, these figures prove the database works by instantly flagging visa overstayers and fake documents.
But here goes a problem: biometric collection is triggering a systemic operational crisis. Industry lobbies report waiting times at border control reaching up to five hours during peak periods warn these delays put 41 million arrivals and 45 billion dollars of tourist spending at risk.
