The Liberal Democrats have urged new Prime Minister Andy Burnham to immediately lobby European Union leaders to suspend the new Entry-Exit System (EES), which has caused widespread disruption for British passport holders at airports across the bloc.
Liberal Democrats Call for Suspension
Speaking at Heathrow airport on Friday morning, the Liberal Democrats’ foreign affairs spokesperson, Calum Miller, said the prime minister needed to call on EU states to drop the “bungled, malfunctioning border system” until at least September. Miller argued that holidaymakers and hauliers should not be punished by a system completely out of their control.
“Andy Burnham needs to pick up the phone to each and every European leader - and persuade them, collectively, to suspend the EES until at least September,” Miller said.
Chaos at EU Airports
The EES was introduced earlier this year but has caused significant problems for travellers. Greece suspended the system due to huge queues at airports, and there have been reports of flights departing without passengers who were left behind as border authorities struggled to implement the new biometric checks.
The system requires all non-EU travellers, including British passport holders, to complete biometric checks upon arrival in the EU. The rollout has been widely criticised by tourists and politicians.
Impact on British Travellers
Miller blamed a disastrous Brexit deal for “now putting millions of Britons at risk of having their holidays ruined by this broken EU border system”. The travel association Abta also expressed concern. Chief executive Mark Tanzer said: “For many heading overseas, this will be the first experience of EES, and for some, though not all, it may take longer than usual to get through passport control.”
Government Response
A government spokesperson said: “While the new EES checks are a matter for the EU, we recognise this is a significant change for British travellers and are doing everything we can to get people away on their summer holidays with as little hassle as possible.”
The call for action comes as Burnham, who succeeded Sir Keir Starmer on Monday, faces immediate pressure to address the border issues affecting millions of UK passport holders.
