New Delhi: The European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), introduced to modernise border control and replace passport stamping with automated digital checks, is facing growing criticism after reports of long queues, missed flights and travel disruptions across Europe. Videos on social media show passengers waiting for hours at airports in 15 European cities as authorities processed travellers under the new system.
The main issue is the first-time enrolment process, where travellers must register their biometric details before entering the Schengen zone. Although registration itself takes only a few minutes per person, high passenger volumes have led to long queues and significant waiting times.
The European Commission’s Migration and Home Affairs department reported in their article that the EES began a soft, phased rollout on 12 October 2025 before becoming fully mandatory and operational across participating countries on 10 April 2026. As of 29 May 2026, the system has been in soft deployment for 229 days and has been fully enforced for 49 days.
“Passengers at regional airports and larger hubs including in France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Greece are waiting up to three hours at border checks,” FT reported.
Backlogs across Europe
Portugal’s Lisbon, Faro and Porto airports have reportedly seen tourist backlogs with queues stretching six to seven hours. Belgium’s Brussels Airport has temporarily paused the system due to what officials described as “unacceptable” queues, and Amsterdam Schiphol has struggled with a shortage of biometric border booths.
Spain’s Madrid and Barcelona airports have reported major processing delays, while airports in Greece, Malta and Czechia have also faced widespread flight-schedule disruptions and long terminal queues. The Times Of India report shows over 1,280 delayed flights till 12 May 2026.
The disruption is also being felt by British travellers. Since Brexit, UK passport holders are classified as non-EU travellers and must undergo EES checks when entering the Schengen area. Reports from major gateways, including the Port of Dover and airports at popular European holiday destinations, have described significant delays as border authorities struggle to manage increased processing times. Industry groups and airlines have warned that the situation could worsen during the peak summer travel season.
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Temporary relief measures
The issue has not been fully resolved, but the European Commission has introduced temporary measures to ease disruptions caused by the EES.
Addressing concerns, European Commission spokesperson Markus Lammert said member states can “still be able to partially suspend EES operations where necessary” for an additional 90 days, with a possible 60-day extension, adding that this “will give Member States the necessary tools to manage potential extended queues.” This flexibility allows countries to temporarily scale back biometric checks and prevent severe congestion at border crossings.
The news quickly sparked debate on social media, where many users commented that the experience is nothing new for travellers entering the United States.
“An American gets to feel our pain when non-US citizens try and enter their country,” one user wrote. Another responded simply, “Same as US, enjoy.”