British tourists heading to Portugal and Italy have received a major update after 'shambolic' queues clogged up major airports, with both countries expected to abandon controversial EU border checks.
Portugal and Italy May Follow Greece's Lead
Portugal and Italy are tipped to be the next holiday destinations to scrap the new Entry/Exit System (EES) rules for UK holidaymakers, following Greece's decision to shelve the system until September due to severe delays. Reports indicate that travellers have been left stranded for hours, with some even missing their flights as a result.
The post-Brexit regulations require all non-EU visitors to use dedicated kiosks at airports and border crossings to submit biometric data, including facial scans and fingerprints. However, faulty biometric technology and staff shortages have contributed to the problems, which have also been reported in France and Croatia.
Current Situation in Portugal
Portugal is currently waving passengers through when queues become unmanageable and is expected to follow Greece's lead ahead of the May half-term by reverting to traditional passport stamps. This move aims to prevent further disruption for British tourists, who are a significant source of revenue for these economies.
Industry Reaction
Seamus McCauley from travel firm Holiday Extras commented, 'Countries are not going to sit back and let Greece take their trade just because they won't face EES delays at airports. To do so would be politically toxic when jobs are on the line. The rollout has been an utter fiasco. British tourists are worth €3.5 billion a year to the Greek economy, and the country has rightly decided it will not jeopardise that simply because the EES is failing to function properly.'
Ryanair Calls for Pause
Budget airline Ryanair has called for the EES rollout to be paused until September, describing the system as 'half-baked'. In a statement, Ryanair said: 'Despite knowing for over three years that EES would become fully operational from 10 April 2026, France, Portugal, Poland, Italy, Spain, and Germany have failed to ensure that adequate staffing, system readiness, or kiosks are in place. As a result, passengers are suffering long passport control queues and, in some cases, missing their flights. Ryanair calls on these EU Governments to suspend the rollout of the EU's passport control Entry/Exit System (EES) until September to ensure that passengers are not needlessly forced to suffer long passport control queue delays at European airports during the peak summer season.'
Foreign Office Warning
The Foreign Office had warned ahead of the introduction of the EES system on April 10 that passengers should be 'prepared to wait longer than usual at the border' when entering the EU. The ongoing issues highlight the challenges of implementing the new system across multiple member states.
