NOW EU SPOIL OUR HOLIDAYS
Angry Britons have to wait 4 hours at border controls
BRITISH holidaymakers were left fuming yesterday after new EU security measures kept them trapped for up to four hours at foreign airports.
Dozens of victims fainted after getting stuck at understaffed passport control checkpoints on arrival or waiting to fly home.
Desperate tourists warned of shambolic scenes as queues backed up for hundreds of yards at airports in Malaga, Munich, Amsterdam and Mallorca.
The chaos was caused by officials making additional checks on tourists flying in from countries, like the UK, which are outside the “passport-free” EU Schengen zone.
Eurosceptics slammed the travel nightmare as another example of the EU’s revenge for Britain’s historic decision to leave the bloc.
Ukip home affairs spokeswoman Jane Collins said: “It’s typical of the inward-looking EU to take this kind of
approach. But it’s not going to make us change our minds on Brexit, just possibly change our minds on holiday destinations.”
She added: “They need to up their game for the majority of the world who aren’t from Schengen countries or they might find it has a knock-on effect on business.”
Her criticism was backed up by the experiences of tourists flying in or out of the affected airports yesterday, with reports of some passengers missing their flights.
Connor Aston, who was at Palma Airport, in Mallorca, where some tourists had fainted in the heat, said: “There were four guys standing in only one booth yesterday at passport control.
“I felt they were punishing the UK residents and had a very abrupt attitude. It was not a good experience.”
Mr Aston added: “It definitely looked as though they were on a go-slow.”
Another Palma traveller, Haydn Chaundy, tweeted: “Another queue at an airport. This is getting ridiculous.” Paul Bower, who had to wait on the tarmac at Bergerac Airport, in southern France, for almost 90 minutes after flying in from Bristol, said: “There were three booths open but only one was manned. It was definitely taking longer to check each passport.”
Dr Michael Bond said he had a similar experience on a trip to Bastia, in Corsica, where he waited for an hour on the tarmac to get through passport control. He said: “The queue stretched from the tarmac where we landed. It was six people wide and there were two people manning the passport control.”
John Dale, at Malaga Airport, in Spain, tweeted: “I’ve been to many airports. Never have I had to stand in a queue for as long for passport control.”
Simon Place, at Munich, added: “Crazy queues for passport control to leave the country.”
Travel industry experts said the congestion from the stronger checks began a few weeks ago, but has escalated in the past few days as the first of about 2.5 million British summer holidaymakers took to the skies.
The new rules were introduced following the terror attacks in Paris and Brussels – carried out by suspects who were able to cross borders without detection. Airlines For Europe (A4E), which represents carriers including easyJet, Ryanair and British Airways’ parent IAG, said passengers entering and leaving Schengen are the targets.
The travellers have their details run through databases which should alert the authorities if they are known to pose a threat.
A4E warned that passengers
arriving at airports in Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Belgium are being forced to stand in immigration lines for “up to four hours”.
A4E also claimed some passengers are even missing their flights because of the issue.
Managing director Thomas Reynaert said the mayhem could become worse as the new regulations are not yet fully operational. He said: “Travellers face long lines and can’t get on their flights. At some airports, flight delays have increased by 300 per cent compared to last year.”
The issue is also thought to have affected motorists using Dover to Calais ferries.
A spokeswoman for travel trade organisation Abta said: “Tour operators will ensure that customers get to the airport in plenty of time so that they are not in danger of missing their flights.
“However, independent travellers will need to check the situation with their airlines and, where necessary, ensure they factor these longer queuing times into their travel plans.”
AS if travelling were not stressful enough British holidaymakers are now being forced to stand in immigration queues at some European airports for up to four hours. It has even been claimed that the issue has caused travellers to miss flights.
The official explanation is that this is because of more stringent checks being made on people entering the Schengen area. This newspaper has long called for the EU to take a more robust approach towards the security of its external border and to work harder to prevent potential criminals and terrorists making it into the Schengen zone.
However the policy that has been adopted here is utterly ludicrous. If EU leaders are concerned about which people are making it on to the continent they should start by addressing the unchecked migrant flows from North Africa and the Middle East, not waste time victimising British tourists. This is a reminder of how infuriating and wrongheaded the EU’s decision making process can be. What a relief that Brussels will shortly lose its right to set our laws.
Furthermore the introduction of the new checks is not a good enough reason to justify such queues. The rules were obviously going to slow things down. Anybody with an ounce of common sense would have seen these problems coming and ensured enough staff were on duty to prevent delays.
Instead our supposed friends on the continent would rather inconvenience holidaymakers than take this rudimentary step. Given the enormous financial contribution that British tourists make to so many European resorts this is a foolish decision.