Latest news with #borderchecks
The Sun
31 minutes ago
- Business
- The Sun
UK holidaymakers will be fingerprinted each time they visit EU – with lengthy checks taking 6 minutes
BRITS heading to Europe this year will face lengthy checks as fingerprinting is issued each time they cross the border. The manual ID checks will be rolled out in November and affect thousands of motorists driving from the UK to Europe. 1 Those driving across the border will be asked to get out of their vehicle to be photographed and fingerprinted, adding up to six minutes to journey times. The big change will be phased in from November and will see "significant infrastructure" being built to support the thousands of people getting out of cars and buses. Operators say the system is a way of getting rid of stamping passports and keeping visitors' information digitally recorded. The manual checks come as Dover waits for the launch of an app being developed by Frontex, the European border agency. The app will eventually minimise queues and won't require passengers' to get out of their vehicles. Border control will be given a tablet which they will pass through cars to verify individuals' identity. But according to Doug Bannister, the chief executive of the Port of Dover, the app won't be ready "any time before November". This means second, third, fourth time travellers still need to have a biometric captured at the border, he told The Guardian. This comes as the UK government confirmed a new deal that will allow UK holidaymakers to use the much faster e-gates when visiting Europe. The talks mean Brits can join other EU tourists in the shorter queues. The New EU entry-exit system and EuropeTravel Visa (ETIAS) explained The Prime Minister said: "We will be and are pressing to get on with this straight away. "Because for holiday makers wanting to get out this summer, they will want to know that they can do so easily, without delay and chaos." Sir Keir Starmer said he wanted to see the deal done "as soon as possible" claiming there was now no "inhibition" to it getting done. He said: "Today's deal will also help British holidaymakers, confirming that they will be able to use e-gates when they travel to Europe, ending those huge queues at passport control. "And I call on all EU members to help make this a reality without delay.' The government said: "British holidaymakers will be able to use more e-gates in Europe, ending the dreaded queues at border control." Tim Alderslade, chief executive of trade body Airlines UK, added: "This is excellent news for British holidaymakers and will enable an even smoother passenger experience for families travelling to the EU."
The Guardian
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Government considers sale of Brexit border checkpoint in Kent
The UK government is reportedly considering selling a post-Brexit border check facility in Kent that could fall out of use as a result of this week's trade pact with the EU. The site, based in Sevington, Ashford, was erected in 2021 with capacity for 1,300 lorries that were expected to face extra checks on plants and animal goods, including dairy and meat, entering and leaving Britain after Brexit. However, the deal between the UK and EU struck earlier this week is due to remove the need for routine health and veterinary certification on the import and export of farm products ranging from fresh meat and dairy products to vegetables, timber, wool and leather. The government is now on the hunt for a company willing to buy or repurpose the Sevington border control point. Ministers are said to have approached Eurotunnel directly, according to the Financial Times. The Port of Dover could also be in the running, having been in discussions with the government for years about the site. The Port of Dover chief executive, Doug Bannister, welcomed the UK government's deal with the EU. 'Clearly there is a lot of detail to work through on how that's to be implemented and we're keen to continue our discussions with government for what this means for the BCP [border control post] at Sevington,' he said. The new UK-EU deal could end up making 41 BCPs, built by British port operators in the wake of Brexit, redundant. The Guardian revealed on Wednesday that a separate £25m post-Brexit BCP in Portsmouth may have to be demolished as a result of the government's deal with the EU. The hi-tech facility at the UK's second busiest cross-Channel terminal was one of more than 100 BCPs around the country built to government specifications to handle post-Brexit checks on imports subject to sanitary and phytosanitary checks. Boasting 14 lorry bays, Portsmouth's 8,000 sq metre (86,000 sq ft) border site was designed to allow inspection of low- and high-risk goods in air-lock quarantine zones to prevent cross-contamination. However, it has been severely underused since it began operating in April last year, after the previous Conservative government's changes to the post-Brexit import regime, which significantly reduced the number of tests required. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion An average of three checks have been carried out each day at Portsmouth's BCP in the 12 months since it began operating, compared with the 80 a day for which it was built. It is understood that a decision on whether to close BCPs will depend on the final details of the UK-EU deal. Some checks, including on live animals, are expected to continue. A government spokesperson said: 'This government committed in its manifesto to negotiate an agreement to prevent unnecessary border checks, remove red tape for businesses and help tackle the cost of food, which is what we have delivered on.' Eurotunnel declined to comment.
Bloomberg
19-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
UK's Starmer Reached a Deal to Reset Relations With the EU
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer sealed a deal with European Union leaders that lays the ground for closer collaboration with the bloc, seeing the removal of the vast majority of border checks on food and agricultural goods. They also pledged to discuss British access to Europe's €150 billion ($169 billion) defense fund. The UK negotiators agreed to extend fishing rights, a politically risky move for the ruling Labour party, which faces an electoral threat from Nigel Farage's Reform UK. Fishing is a totemic issue in the UK despite making up just 0.04% of GDP, and the deal appears to have reignited tensions last seen during Brexit talks.
Asharq Al-Awsat
19-05-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
The UK and the EU Announce New Deals and Renew Ties, 5 Years after Brexit
Britain's government said Monday it has struck new agreements with the European Union on boosting defense cooperation, easing food trade and border checks. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the deals will slash red tape, grow the British economy and reset relations with the 27-nation trade bloc since the UK left the EU in 2020. Under the deals, a new UK-EU defense and security partnership will allow the UK to access a EU defense loan program worth 150 billion euros ($170 billion.) Other agreements include removing some checks on animal and plant products to ease food trade across borders, and a 12-year extension of an agreement allowing EU fishing vessels in UK waters.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Germany updates: Police say extra border checks unustainable
The German Police Union (GdP) is warning that intensified border checks and asylum rejections cannot go on much longer amid staff shortages and suspended training. GdP chief Andreas Rosskopf said the measures rely on adjusted rosters, canceled leave, and paused training. Over 1,000 riot police are currently deployed at the borders after Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt recently tightened controls, with turnbacks up by nearly a half. Meanwhile, an Iraqi couple are on trial in Germany accused of enslaving and abusing two Yazidi girls. Here's a roundup of top news stories from Germany on Monday, May 19. An Iraqi man and his wife, both accused of being so-called "Islamic State" (IS) militant group members and enslaving two Yazidi girls, are set to appear in court in Germany. The 43-year-old man and 29-year-old woman face charges at the Munich Higher Regional Court, including genocide, human trafficking, and crimes against humanity. Prosecutors say that in 2015, the man bought a 5-year-old Yazidi girl as a dowry for his wife, at her request. The child was allegedly held captive by the couple in Iraq and Syria for over two years, during which she was subjected to forced labour, sexual abuse, humiliation, and torture. In October 2017, the couple allegedly bought a second Yazidi girl, aged 12, who endured similar abuse. Both girls were later transferred to other IS members in November 2017. While the older girl was eventually freed after a ransom was paid, the fate of the younger child remains unknown. The couple were arrested in Bavaria in April 2024 and have been in custody since. IS aimed to establish a theocratic state under Sharia law during the conflicts in Syria and Iraq. German prosecutors argue the couple's actions were part of IS's systematic rape of Yazidi women and girls — a strategy designed to dismantle the group's continuity and identity. Germany has emerged as a key prosecutor of IS war crimes that took place in Iraq and Syria under the principle of universal jurisdiction. Germany's intensified border checks and the rejection of asylum seekers cannot continue for much longer, the country's police union has warned. Andreas Rosskopf cited a lack of personnel and the suspension of training programs as the main reasons. Rosskopf, chairman of the German Police Union (GdP) police union, told the Funke Media Group in comments published Monday that the current measures were only sustainable because duty rosters had been adjusted, training sessions paused, and officers' overtime leave canceled. "The police can only keep up these intensive checks for a few more weeks," Rosskopf said, noting that more than 1,000 riot police officers had been deployed in border areas for several days. Shortly after taking office earlier this month, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt ordered stricter border controls, allowing authorities to turn back migrants even if they seek asylum. According to Dobrindt, the number of people turned away has increased by nearly 50% since the changes were introduced. Rosskopf said the union supports the government's efforts to reduce irregular migration through enhanced checks by the federal police. Guten Tag and welcome to our coverage of developments in Germany on Monday, May 19, 2025. Germany's enhanced border checks cannot go on for much longer, the country's major police union has warned. GdP police union chief Andreas Rosskopf says the measures are currently relying on temporary fixes, such as canceled leave and suspended training. Germany's new Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt recently tightened controls as part of the new conservative-led coalition agreement to cut irregular migration. This blog will provide you the latest news, analysis, multimedia content and DW on-the-ground reporting in regards to events in Germany. Stay tuned for more!
