Eurotunnel to trial airport-style border checks

New border system to avoid chaos

Airport-style passport and fingerprinting controls are being introduced at Eurotunnel to prevent short-term and long-term chaos in Folkestone and Calais.

How the system will work

The European Commission has agreed to use eagle eye camera systems, already used in Rome and Paris airports, to supervise fingerprinting and facial imaging at the border.

Drive-through terminals replace queues

Instead of leaving their cars, holidaymakers and business travellers will use special drive-through terminals in Folkestone and Calais for biometrics.

One hundred twenty kiosks installed

Both sides are equipped with one hundred twenty kiosks under an eagle-eye camera monitored by police, similar to e-gates at airports.

Why the airport model works here

Yann Leriche, chief executive of Getlink, said the company told authorities that other approaches would require police jumping between locations and give customers a bad experience at peak times.

“It would also means customers would have a bad experience, particularly at peak time.”

Two-year trial with permanent hopes

The trial will last two years, but Eurotunnel hopes the experiment will become permanent if it prevents chaos as expected.

Delayed EU entry system still pending

The entry and exit system was supposed to be active across the EU by September nine, but nine of the twenty-seven EU member states, including France, have yet to deploy it fully.

French connection still not working

Leriche said Eurotunnel's kiosks are ready and can function, but the connection with the French system is still not working and he does not know when France will introduce the system.

“It has been delayed and delayed and delayed, but our kiosks are there, they are can function but the connection with the French system is still not working.”