Sunak is hoping to build on improved relations with the EU to reach an agreement to let Britons use EU e-gates for passport checks…reports Asian Lite News
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wants to make a deal with the European Union to make it easier for his citizens to travel to the bloc.
Sunak is hoping to build on improved relations with the EU to reach an agreement to let Britons use EU e-gates for passport checks, which would speed up border crossings, the report said.
A formal approach has not yet been made, but diplomats are raising the issue informally, Bloomberg reported, citing a British official.
In February, Britain reached an agreement with the European Union over trading arrangements for Northern Ireland, which has remained subject to EU rules since Brexit due to its open border with Ireland.
Under EU plans due to be implemented in 2024, citizens from the UK and other so-called “third-country” nationals could have their biometric data taken to obtain a visa waiver, but the British government is worried this will not end delays, and is looking for full access to the bloc’s e-gates, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Some EU member states – including Spain and Portugal – already let British citizens use their e-gates at major airports in a bid to ease pressure, but an EU-wide deal would speed up the process for all British travellers who mostly have to queue up for a manned desk.
The manual checks at EU borders, which now require the stamping of British passports since Brexit, have caused bottlenecks during busy periods.
It follows a delay to the EU’s new entry/exit system (EES), which will mean British travellers entering the EU will have to have their fingerprints and facial biometrics taken. But the scheme won’t start until 2024 at the earliest.
Despite inisting no talks were under way, Downing Street said wider use of e-gates for British tourists in Europe would be “welcome”. No 10 said officials were also working with the EU to understand the impact of the new entry/exit system for British citizens.
Sunak’s official spokesman did not recognise reports that the PM personally is pushing for greater access to e-gates. “As far as I’m aware there are no live discussions to that end, but of course we will always want to find ways to minimise unnecessary waiting times for British nationals,” he said.
The No 10 official added: “That would be welcome if there were wider use of E-gates for non-EU nationals, it’s in both our interests and the interests of the countries which British nationals visit as tourists, for example.”