The new Entry Exit System (EES) began on Sunday
The implementation of a new EU border system has been “quite encouraging” at London’s St Pancras railway station, a Eurostar executive said. Simon Lejeune, the cross-Channel train operator’s chief safety and stations officer, told peers that some passengers are being processed through the Entry Exit System (EES) in 50 seconds.
EES, introduced on Sunday, involves people from third-party countries such as the UK having their fingerprints registered and photograph taken to enter the Schengen area, which consists of 29 European countries, mainly in the EU. For most UK travellers the EES process will be done at foreign airports.
But travellers boarding international services from St Pancras, the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel’s Folkestone terminal complete the checks in the UK. Eurostar has created three areas at St Pancras housing a total of 49 kiosks where pre-registration for EES can take place.
Mr Lejeune told the House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee the process at the station is initially being done solely by French border officers, and there have been “really good transaction times”.
He said: “I was observing transaction times of 50 seconds. That’s for the full biometrics, as well as the passport check and the stamping for EES-eligible passengers.
“So quite encouraging, and that’s without the kiosks that do that pre-registration, which we’ll be introducing over the next few weeks.”
