From the end of 2024, third-country nationals entering the European Union will be subject to an automated entry and exit control system (Entry/Exit System, EES).
This centralized database will include photographs of the traveler’s face and fingerprints. Last month a British parliamentary committee warned of the significant delays – up to 14 hours according to them – that the EES could cause at the borders.
St Pancras station: an economic hub of London
And in particular at London’s St Pancras station where Eurostar trains arrive, an essential rail link for the capital. “As things stand, these new post-Brexit controls will cause chaos at St Pancras, with reductions in services and potentially huge queues for passengers at peak times,” said Saturday in a statement from Labor Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.
He calls on the government not to “wash its hands” of this “direct consequence of Brexit”, which would send “a terrible signal to tourists and businesses around the world”, while the London economy is barely recovering from the crisis. impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Concerns about the London-Paris train connection
The Eurostar railway company, as well as High Speed 1 (HS1), the company which operates the railway line which connects London to the entrance to the Channel Tunnel, have also expressed their concerns. Eurostar considered that the new system had been designed more for airports than for station terminals.
London City Hall argues that St Pancras station will only have 24 control counters for the EES, allocated by the French government, “while modeling suggests that nearly 50 would be needed during peak hours” .
“Ministers must now give HS1 and Eurostar all the support they need to address these issues urgently. Service cuts and longer delays are simply not an option,” insisted Sadiq Khan.