Getlink says unstable EU software could delay biometric border checks

The European Union’s Entry/Exit System could be delayed for the Channel Tunnel, the undersea railway tunnel that connects the UK to France.Channel Tunnel operator Getlink has said the software issues could delay the biometric implementation of the EES beyond the September 6 deadline.“I’m not going to tell you that we aren’t experiencing any difficulties at all, because there’s one issue that affects us all and for which there is no obvious solution: the software provided by the European Union,” said Yann Leriche, chief executive at Getlink Group.Leriche has told reporters that the biometrics required by the EES has not yet been implemented for passenger vehicles and that the software from the EU side is not wholly stable currently. Getlink has invested €80 million ($91 million) to get its terminals ready for the EES.Getlink uses IN Groupe’s EES kiosks at the Channel Tunnel, with the supplier having supplied 224 equipment items, installed on the French and English sides. Paris-based Getlink records around 10 million travelers annually, with the two sides of the Channel Tunnel found at Folkestone in southern England and Coquelles in northern France.Getlink has largely avoided the multi-hour queues reported at some airports on the European mainland, with delays at the tunnel usually not exceeding one or two hours. “All this bad press – especially from the British side, since 80 percent of our tourists are British – ultimately creates a negative impression, even though, in reality, the problems are largely manageable if we do our job,” Leriche said.The UK is getting more French border guards at British checkpoints to avoid the kind of long delays that have dogged the system. UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander brokered an agreement for the extra French manpower with her French counterpart Philippe Tabarot in preparation for the busier summer period.UK travel association warns of EES delays as holidays get under wayThe UK’s largest travel association Abta is warning travelers to expect possible delays at EU borders this weekend as an estimated 2.2 million Britons head overseas between 24–27 July — the first weekend of the summer with all UK schools on break and the first major test of the EES.Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer urged families to allow extra time at departure points. “For many heading overseas, this will be the first experience of the Entry/Exit System in Europe, and for some, though not all, it may take longer than usual to get through passport control.”Spain remains the top family destination, followed by Greece, Portugal, Italy and Turkey. Greece, Italy and Portugal are among the nine EU countries who have signed a joint letter requesting the EU to extend the temporary flexibility to suspend the EES border checks beyond its September 6 amnesty.Hundreds of thousands of passengers are expected at Heathrow and Gatwick airports, with around 220,000 at Stansted, 130,000 at Luton, 250,000 at Manchester, 110,000 at Birmingham and 80,000 at Bristol, with Scottish and regional airports also set for a busy weekend.Identical twins fall through the EES cracksThe EES has mistakenly flagged an identical twin as an overstayer, highlighting technical problems months after launch.A British traveler was stopped in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, after border police claimed she had failed to record her departure from Amsterdam in April 2026 — a trip actually taken by her identical twin. Officials initially accused her of lending out her passport before eventually allowing her to fly.Experts told Politico the incident likely stemmed from a faulty exit record in Amsterdam shortly after EES went live on April 10, combined with Romanian officers relying solely on facial recognition rather than checking fingerprints or passport data, contrary to EES rules.Romanian Border Police later admitted staff had not followed procedures and said additional training had been provided. The European Commission said member states are responsible for data accuracy and travelers can request corrections if needed.