The European Union will delay its planned fingerprint checks at Dover over fears it would spark ‘pandemonium’ as people try to reach next year’s Paris Olympics, according to a report.
The EU had planned to bring in the checks – which would see the taking of four fingerprint scans and a photograph of new arrivals into the bloc – as part of the new entry and exit system (EES) set to begin in November.
But The Guardian reports that this has now been pushed back amid fears from transport bosses that the checks could cause more chaos at border checkpoints.
EU officials are now expected to discuss the plans in June, the newspaper says, with any delay coming as a welcome relief to coach operators whose passengers had to suffer through delays of up to 14 hours at Easter trying to reach Calais.
Fears were growing that such checks at Dover, the Eurotunnel in Folkestone and the Eurostar terminal in London would lead to similar delays next year as people travel to and from Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games.
