Kent leaders call for ‘urgent action’ on border controls

Kent City Council leaders have warned the new government of the need for “urgent action” to limit potential disruption to the region if new border controls are introduced by the EU.

The Entry Exit System (EES), which comes into force in October, will require British visitors to the EU to register biometric data.

In a letter to Transport Secretary Louise Haigh on Wednesday, council leaders warned that the checks “risk causing extremely serious delays” to international trade and travellers.

The Department of Transport has been contacted for comment.

Preparations are underway at key Channel crossings, including the Port of Dover and the Eurotunnel site in Folkestone, to accommodate the new system, which will help to avoid queues.

Leaders of 14 councils in Kent – ​​Kent County Council, Medway Council and 12 district and borough councils – asked the government to “recognise the serious risk of disruption”.

“We also need your support to find and fund new, long-term, sustainable ways of managing cross-Channel traffic, and to ensure that Kent has the infrastructure in place to ensure that ESS controls do not have devastating consequences,” the letter reads.

The new checks, which will take place in person at ports and stations, mean that passports will no longer need to be stamped, but fingerprints and a photo will have to be taken.

Travelers must also answer a number of questions about their trip.

Kent leaders have asked the government “as a matter of urgency” for access to data models, timelines and measures already in development.

They also called on the government to work with the EU to “find a technological solution” that would allow the Port of Dover to process passengers faster, both on and off-site.

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