EU’s ‘unpleasant and dangerous’ border checks need overhaul, says Greek airports boss

The leader of 14 Greek airports has called for a superior overhaul of nan EU’s caller separator checks aft having to erect gazebos for passengers queuing outside.

Alexander Zinell, nan main executive of Fraport Greece, joined a increasing chorus of critics calling retired “fundamental flaws” successful nan entry-exit strategy (EES), which requires non-EU passengers to person their fingerprints and photograph taken astatine nan commencement of their travel and verified each clip they time off aliases re-enter nan Schengen zone.

Zinell’s airports person had to usage gazebos to shield queuing passengers from nan sun arsenic they hold to beryllium processed, while susceptible group person been prioritised done information to guarantee their safety.

“It is very unpleasant for passengers, and moreover dangerous,” Zinell said.

Greek authorities person indicated that constabulary will not cheque UK passengers, though location is nary broad ineligible exemption from nan biometric tests. Visitors from nan UK dress up nan bulk of non-EU visitors passing done Zinell’s airports, which see Corfu, Rhodes, Mykonos and Crete.

Border constabulary person elasticity nether EU rules to suspend checks astatine highest times, but that correct is group to lapse successful September. Zinell said nan elasticity was nan only point keeping nan system, which was first rolled retired past October, from collapse.

“These are conscionable impermanent fixes, nan strategy needs to beryllium overhauled,” he told nan Financial Times successful an interview. “It needs a caller version, an update, and astir apt a reconfiguration successful bid to let group to registry earlier they fly, earlier they get connected a plane, earlier they spell to nan airport.”

EU authorities are already facing calls from nan International Air Transport Association to suspend nan controls until adjacent summertime because of fears of chaos successful vacation hotspots.

Iata said past week that passengers were besides experiencing “delays and missed connections” successful Portugal, Spain, Italy and Belgium, while Ryanair warned of “queue chaos” successful airports including astatine celebrated vacation destinations specified arsenic Alicante, Málaga and Palma.

British cross-Channel ferry passengers could look agelong delays unless nan French separator constabulary suspend EES. The Home Office has promised to push heavy for nan checks to beryllium paused astatine Dover aft warnings that nan larboard faced “utter chaos and miles of tailbacks” pinch highest vacation postulation owed to statesman from 17 July.

The larboard of Dover said EES checks astatine nan commencement of nan May half-term vacation led to delays of 4 and a half hours, and it expected almost 50% much vehicles to recreation done Dover astatine highest clip successful nan schoolhouse summertime holidays.

While EU authorities person admitted nan strategy is “not perfect”, they have truthful acold rejected calls for immoderate impermanent suspension. Officials said that of nan 1,500 separator crossing points, only 20 were “difficult spots” and personnel states would beryllium called connected to put measures successful spot to easiness nan strain.