More than 30,000 people denied entry to Europe due to EES

The EES was first introduced in October last year, before the rollout ramped up on April 10.

The new system requires British travellers and other non-EU visitors to provide biometric data, including fingerprints and facial scans, when entering the Schengen Area.

More than 30,000 people denied entry to Europe due to EES

The latest data from the European Commission has revealed that more than 30,000 people have been denied entry into Europe since the rollout of the new EES, according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin.

Of those denied entry, nearly 7,000 had previously overstayed in the Schengen Area, and around 800 were considered security threats.

More than 66 million entries and exits have been logged through the new system so far, the Majorca Daily Bulletin reported.

Who can be denied entry to Europe?

Under the Schengen Borders Code (SBC), guards can deny travellers from outside the EU entry to the area if they fail to meet the entry conditions under Regulation (EU) 2016/399, ETIAS.com explains.

Refusals typically relate to:

• Missing or invalid travel documents
• Insufficient financial means
• No proof of accommodation or purpose of stay
• Security and public order concerns
• Health or public safety issues

European airports could temporarily shut down EES

The new EES has received significant backlash since its introduction, with it causing long waits for passengers at airports.

Brits have been warned of six-hour waits at several major European airports, with these long waits expected to continue for another two years, according to industry experts.

Major airlines, including Jet2 and Ryanair, have called for the rollout of the new system to be suspended until after the summer to allow for a “smoother airport experience” during peak travel season.

CEO of Ryanair’s Malta subsidiary, Malta Air, David O’Brien, even threatened to pull all flights to Malta due to the extended wait times caused by the EES at airports.

But officials have revealed that European airports have the power to temporarily shut down the EES if queues get too long.

Deputy Executive Director of Frontex (EU border and coast guard agency), Uku Särekanno, speaking to The Mirror, said: “We have until the end of the summer, the possibility during the tourism season to lift the biometric controls or the biometric registration temporarily.

“If there is a peak hour, you see that there are hundreds of people queuing, their queues are getting too long, then member states still have the possibility to lift biometric registration.

“The EU has considered, for the period of summer, to make sure that there is still some relief for the worst-case scenario.”

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