Airports in the European Union (EU) are getting ready for the European Entry-Exit System (EES), which will eliminate passport stamps at airports and be implemented for non-EU citizens in October 2024.
Third-world nationals entering the Schengen Area will also need to have their biometric data collected for this new system.
The EES seeks to expedite border crossings while improving border security. In an effort to improve border security and expedite border crossings, the European Experience System (EES), scheduled to start in October 2024, requires the collecting of biometric data from citizens of developing (third world) nations entering the Schengen Area.
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Already, between 2020 and 2024, nearly 7.1 million non-immigrant visas were granted to foreign nationals for tourism or business purposes in the US.
However, reports indicate that many of these individuals entered the country without undergoing the required in-person consular interviews and biometric screening.
The Inspector General of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has acknowledged that the exact number of visa applicants who bypassed biometric screening remains unknown, according to Visaguide.
Biometric Update reveals that the fingerprint waiver program for non-immigrant visa holders ended in December. Despite this, many port directors at various entry points were unaware of this change for the past four years.
These findings come as the DHS Inspector General also highlighted inefficiencies in the department’s screening and verification processes, including for asylum seekers with long-pending applications.
Thus the EES is designed to register travelers from non-EU countries each time they enter or exit the Schengen zone, capturing biometric data such as fingerprints and facial images upon arrival and departure.
“It will also record refusals of entry. EES will replace the current system of manual stamping of passports, which is time-consuming, does not provide reliable data on border crossings and does not allow a systematic detection of over-stayers (travellers who have exceeded the maximum duration of their authorised stay).
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“EES will contribute to prevent irregular migration and help protect the security of European citizens.
“The new system will also help bona fide third-country nationals to travel more easily while also identifying more efficiently over-stayers as well as cases of document and identity fraud,” the EU states on its website.
Despite the planned launch in October, there are concerns about the readiness of some EU airports, particularly smaller regional ones, to handle the new procedures. Dozens of airports across Europe are unprepared for the European Union’s upcoming biometric travel registration scheme, the Entry-Exit System (EES), according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Concerns about unresolved issues needing urgent action have been raised by Rafael Schvartzman, IATA’s regional head for Europe.
