Portugal and Italy refuse to pause digital border checks for British travellers
Portugal and Italy have refused to pause the EU's new digital Entry/Exit System for British holidaymakers. Both governments insist the biometric checks are running smoothly, while Greece and Spain are asking Brussels for short-term flexibility to head off long airport queues during the peak summer season.
Portugal and Italy have ruled out a temporary suspension of the European Union's new digital Entry/Exit System for British passport holders. Lisbon and Rome say biometric data collection is running on schedule at their airports and that there is no appetite to step back from the rollout.
Under the EES, post-Brexit British arrivals at Schengen borders must give fingerprints and face scans, prompting longer queues at passport control. Greece and Spain, which between them expect more than 200,000 British tourists a day at the summer peak, are asking Brussels for short-term exemptions at some smaller regional airports.
The European Commission insists the six-month phased rollout will continue. Airlines and travel agents warn the queues are causing missed connections and pushing member states to add staff and offer digital pre-registration. Turkish operators are quietly hoping to benefit from any sustained spillover of British tourists looking for friction-free destinations.
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