Holiday chaos warning as new passport checks planned for people traveling to France

BRITS planning to go to France are warned of ‘worst chaos yet’ at the border due to new passport checks.

The new rules, being enforced by the EU, will introduce biometric checks – likely to result in huge queues.

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The new Entry-Exit System (ESS) will be rolled out across Europe from September, where anyone going through will need a digital ID card.

However, a lack of infrastructure to deal with the new rules and technology will likely result in huge queues and record waiting times at the border.

Not only that, but Brits could be forced to get out of their cars for checks, slowing the process even further.

Port of Dover’s Tim Reardon told the Telegraph it “will be more disruptive than anything we’ve seen before”.

He added: “The challenge with this new biometric passport control procedure is that everything has to be done at the border itself.

“They have loaded the full weight of the process to the point where traffic is least able to handle it.”

The long queues will affect Brits traveling to France and on their return.

Experts have long warned of huge delays and disruptions at the border, which is one of the busiest in the world, serving more than 3 million passengers a year.

John Keefe, director of public affairs at Getlink, said last year: “We would be handling 1,600 to 1,700 passengers per hour for the first time.

“It’s an impossible task in the space we have available.”

And Eurostar’s train strategy director warned they see no “practical solution” to the new rules

They added: “In a peak hour in August we have 1,800 passengers. About 1,500 of them would have to go through the EES, including 830 first-time travelers.”

Also, the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIS) will be launched next year, which will cost Brits an extra €7.

There are already new rules for Brits traveling to Europe in relation to their passports – many of which have been caught.

All Britons must now have at least three months left in their passport to enter the EU.

However, new rules no longer allow passports to be longer than 10 years, although previously up to an additional nine months could be rolled up – causing problems for many.

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