JayLeClay on Nostr: From the article: The new system applies to all non-EU Nationals who travel to an EU ...

From the article:

The new system applies to all non-EU Nationals who travel to an EU country for a short-term stay (up to 90 days within a 180-day period). The automated process requires valid travel documents and will collect biometric data, such as fingerprints and facial scans, as well as travelers' exact dates and places of entry and exit.

The Entry/Exit System (EES) is a new border crossing procedure that collects and registers the biometric data of non-EU nationals visiting European Union member states. The system, which is being implemented at both international train and airport terminals, "will replace passport stamping with digitally recorded entries, exits, or refusals of entry of non-EU nationals coming for short stays,” the European Commission said in a statement. “Travelers’ facial image, fingerprints, and personal data from the travel document will be also recorded. ”

Travelers will need to register in the system every time they cross a border entering or leaving the EU, but not when moving between EU member countries. This will be completed by border control agents at passport checkpoints, or via automated kiosks or eGates. The scheme is designed to identify suspected criminals, combat identity fraud, and to police the EU's limit on 90-day stays within a 180-day period, according to the European Commission.

The first time you enter an EU nation while EES is operational, a passport control officer will take a photo of your face and/or scan your fingerprints. (You can also register your data in advance by using the Travel to Europe mobile app.) After that initial scan, your information will be recorded in the EES system. Then, the next time you encounter an EU border check, an officer will either verify that your data matches (as opposed to taking your photo or scanning your fingerprints again) or, if available, you'll be able to use a self-service kiosk. Upon each border crossing, EES will document the date and place of your entry and exit.

The aim of the new system is to replace the manual security process of checking and stamping passports. The process is “time-consuming, does not provide reliable data on border crossings, and does not allow a systematic detection of overstayers (travelers who have exceeded the maximum duration of their authorized stay),” the Commission says. Ideally, the system is also meant to help cut down queue times, making for an easier and more streamlined airport experience.

While EES is designed to help streamline cross-border travel in the long term, travelers could experience delays as airports adjust to the new technology. Over the past few years, for example, there have been ongoing reports of travel disruption across the UK, and the new system will undoubtedly have some teething problems.
ACI Europe Director General, Olivier Jankovec, and Ourania Georgoutsakou, Managing Director at Airlines for Europe, have both expressed concern, saying in a joint statement: “The combination of full registration requirements and reduced operational flexibility is expected to place unprecedented strain on border control operations.”