Seven-hour wait at passport control: Latest system glitch causes chaos for travelers

Starting tonight at midnight, travel will never be the same as the full implementation of the new EES system at EU border crossings for non-EU citizens, including Serbians, begins.The problem is compounded because this date coincides with the major Christian holiday of Easter, when many people travel for short vacations to European destinations.While the European Commission considers EES a good solution, real-world experiences tell a different story&mdash;&ldquo;chaos&rdquo; is an understatement. Passport control waits at airports of up to seven hours have been reported, along with missed flights, hours-long border delays, airport strikes, biometric issues, and long queues for luggage. In some cases, conflicts have even occurred between passengers and border officers.What the coming months will bring remains to be seen, but experiences from the past period are clear&mdash;the system does not speed up passage at borders; rather, it significantly slows it down.Adam Radosavljevic / Alamy / ProfimediaIt all began on October 12, when the phased introduction of the EES system startedBorder congestion was reported over weekends and holidays, not only for travelers from Serbia but worldwide. The first major test came on November 11, Armistice Day, when many travelers spent half of their three-day trips stuck on buses at the border, waiting for 10 to 15 hours.Similar situations occurred during winter holidays, Advent in European cities, as well as over New Year&rsquo;s and National Day. Long queues, kilometer-long traffic jams, and missed flights have become an almost daily occurrence.B92.net/TKOne common problem is that the system does not always register exits from the EU&ldquo;When I was leaving Zurich, the system didn&rsquo;t log my exit, so it appeared as if I had been in the EU the entire time. Chaos ensued when I tried to enter again,&rdquo; one traveler reported.Another traveler experienced a similar issue, being held at the French border for allegedly overstaying, even though his passport had an exit stamp.There are also problems with biometrics. Passengers report that fingerprint scanners often fail, and e-gates are slow. In some cases, nine out of ten people could not successfully scan their fingerprints.A family from Malaga missed their flight despite arriving early at the airport because they spent a long time first at the EES checkpoint and then at the baggage drop-off.Additional complications arise due to technical details&mdash;dry fingers make fingerprint scanning difficult, and older passengers often struggle with the sensors.Passengers frequently have trouble using the biometric kiosks, so in some cases it takes up to 50% longer than planned to get through. B92.net/TKFlights are now taking less time than passport controlAt airports in Lisbon, Brussels, and Paris, waiting times reach up to five hours. In some cases, a flight lasts less than the time spent at passport control.Dover and the Eurotunnel are particularly affected, where equipment shortages cause delays of up to six hours.Passengers are advised to arrive at airports up to four hours early and to travel with carry-on luggage only to avoid additional delays.Problems include broken kiosks, malfunctioning e-gates, staff shortages, and double waiting&mdash;first for biometrics, then for passport control.The situation is further complicated by strikes. On 12 airports in Spain, ground staff are already on strike, causing delays and operational issues.A strike of air traffic controllers is also announced, starting April 17 at midnight and lasting indefinitely, citing staff shortages, overload, and irregular schedules as reasons.It is expected that the strike will further exacerbate flight delays and rescheduling.

Seven-hour wait at passport control: Latest system glitch causes chaos for travelers

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