Monday, December 23, 2024

EU hitting UK with brutal Brexit tourist rule set to spark travel chaos

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British tourists will be tracked in Europe as a new policy comes into force this year, and Brexit is a major reason why.

The EU is imposing its new Entry and Exit System, designed to monitor visitors from non-EU countries who do not require a visa for short visits.

The policy involves the use of technology to monitor the movements of non-EU visitors using their fingerprints and digital travel documents.

Many Britons seem to be worried about the new measure.

A recent survey conducted by the UK Government found that one in seven people are likely to reconsider where they travel due to the new checks.

READ MORE: New EU rules ‘will put Brits off travel to Spain, Greece and France’

The Department for Transport polled over 1,500 people aged 16 and over for the survey.

Airlines have also sounded the alarm about the new policy because some will have to send verification queries to the Entry and Exit officers at least 48 hours before a flight is scheduled to depart.

Britons who spend up to 180 days a year in Majorca will be especially impacted by the policy.

The European Commission says the new system will apply to those visiting 25 EU countries (all Member States apart from Cyprus and Ireland).

It will also affect those going to four non-EU countries (Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Lichtenstein).

The policy comes into force on October 6, meaning it won’t impact those travelling to Europe this summer.

A Lords committee warned the Government last month that there will be “serious delays for passengers” at London St Pancras, the Eurotunnel terminal at Folkestone and the Port of Dover because of the new EU policy.

The Justice and Home Affairs Committee of the House of Lords urged the Government to “use all diplomatic efforts” to persuade the EU to delay its introduction.

The committee chair, Lord Foster of Bath wrote a letter to Tom Pursglove, minister for legal migration and the border, which read: “In the absence of a smartphone application to capture in advance information required for the EES (including facial image), we believe there is a significant chance of serious delays for passengers, and disruption in Kent.”

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