The August bank holiday is upon us, signalling the end of a much-enjoyed holiday and the return to work for millions of people.
Many Britons will be returning home from Europe this weekend, via ports, airports and the Channel Tunnel.
Their trip may have had frustrating delays and border checks, but there will likely not be another summer as smooth as 2024 for many years to come.
Pictured: Passengers waiting to cross the Channel at the port of Dover in July. Photo: PA
In the coming months, the European Union will begin introducing a new 'Entry and Exit System' (EES) for British nationals.
This means that fingerprint and biometric scanning will be required for all British travellers visiting the EU's Schengen area by the end of this year.
From November 2025, entry will require a de facto visa in advance, costing 7 euros (6 pounds) for a three-year permit.
No one doubts that EES will cause delays and increased costs for both travelers and border control authorities.
For example, car passengers arriving at Dover have been told it could take 15 hours to process before they can board the ferry.
When Britain was a member state, it supported stronger EU borders.
After leaving the EU, the UK will now face repercussions from the other side.
Pictured: A queue of trucks waiting to enter the port of Dover this summer. Photo: PA
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These practical frictions for British travellers come at a time when Britain's new Labour government is trying to forge a warmer relationship with the EU.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is due to meet the newly reappointed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in September, and there are also plans to resume regular meetings between the UK and the EU.
But in terms of identity, the new system only confirms the country’s changing status.
From now on, British people will enjoy the same welcoming treatment from the European Union that they receive from other allies such as Japan and the United States.
However, by far the main destination for British travellers, whether for business or leisure, is Europe.
According to official UK government figures, Britons made 66 million visits to Europe last year, of which 60 million were to major EU countries, followed by North America with 4.5 million visits by Britons.
Spain, Greece, Italy, France and Portugal make up the top five overseas destinations for Brits.
Making travel from Britain to Europe more difficult is a highly sensitive issue for both sides and the implementation of new border controls has been repeatedly delayed.
First planned in 2017, it was originally due to be introduced in 2021. The latest start date for biometric checks is November 10, 2024 – a month later than the latest October deadline – which should at least avoid hassle for travellers over the autumn half-term holidays.
Sir Keir's imminent meeting could lead to further delays, but this seems unlikely.
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What to expect in the near future
Top of Sir Keir's policy agenda, according to The Times this week, is agreeing free movement between the UK and the EU for three years for people under 30.
The arrangement would be similar to the one the UK currently shares with New Zealand and Australia – a proposal previously proposed by the EU was firmly rejected by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government.
Hence, biometric testing is expected to begin in November.
As I traveled across borders this summer, I could see the technology at airports and ferry ports, with rows of booths and sensors already lined up and waiting.
Travellers travelling by air will be processed on arrival in Europe, whilst ferry and rail travellers will need to complete the process at their point of departure from the UK.
Costs and delays can occur here.
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Eurostar is spending £8.5 million on additions at St Pancras, including new overflow rooms.
The plan is to install terminals to check the Electronic Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) throughout the station, as there is not enough space in some terminals.
An extra £70 million has been allocated for Folkestone, where cars and lorries access the Eurotunnel.
The Port of Dover is expanding its bus handling facilities on its western quays and plans to add more storage space for cars on site “by 2027”.
Image: Brexiteers hope the new rules will help curb illegal immigration. Photo: PA
The new system is a “de facto visa”
Officially, the new ETIAS mandatory permission to enter the EU is not a visa.
But veteran British travel journalist Simon Calder said it was “effectively a measure” similar to the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) exemption for travel to the US.
He noted that in both cases, people must apply online in advance, provide important personal information, pay money and get permission to cross the border.
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Applicants will be asked for their age, address and passport details, as well as whether they have a criminal record or have recently visited a war zone.
It is expected that ETIAS application processing will take three days.
After ETIAS is introduced for British nationals in May next year, there will be a six-month grace period in case of any confusion, but from November 2025 anyone without ETIAS approval will be unable to travel. Passport stamps on entry and exit will be abolished.
Scammers are already at work offering to process your ETIAS application online.
The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) stresses that the only way to obtain an ETIAS is to apply for it at europa.eu/elias, for a fixed fee.
The system is not yet open to UK citizens and is not compulsory.
Migration and identity issues affected by change
The EU's Schengen travel area includes all 27 member states except Ireland and Cyprus, plus Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Iceland. The common travel area between Ireland and the UK remains in force.
In the long run, these new measures are likely to make travel more efficient for people with the right documentation.
Authorities will also tighten controls over who can enter the area.
Both the UK and the EU want to crack down on illegal immigration.
But the bureaucracy of travel inevitably also impacts how people perceive their own identity.
The previous pro-Brexit government wanted to make bilateral agreements with individual European countries, with the aim of weakening the notion of European solidarity.
The EES is a counter-attack that the so-called “European superstate” is not going to be divided so easily.
EU citizens, who are more accustomed to identity papers than Britons, already have to go through technical checkpoints to enter the UK and are subject to similar restrictions on how long they can stay.
Practical barriers are being erected between Britain and Europe, trapping people who identify as both British and European.
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Travelling by ferry from France to Ireland this week, I saw an advert for this psychological drama plastered on the back of the carriage we were travelling in.
Ireland was transformed and liberated by joining the European Community after the UK. Northern Ireland, with its open border to the south, has a foot in both camps. On the trade front, the wounds were made worse by the long dispute over the Protocol and then the Windsor Framework.
Even more poignantly, bumper stickers on cars and trailers heading back north through Cork were confusingly similar to those of every other member state of the European Union, with the letters “NI” emblazoned on the European flag: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is no longer part of the EU.
While some Brits may think the travel hassle and ETIAS fees are a worthwhile price to pay to “take back control”, many others, faced with new-found uncertainty about their travel plans and frustration at waiting in queues, may not feel the same way.
For ordinary travelers, these changes to travel regulations to Europe may actually be just as important as the more talked-about challenges facing the new administration.
Sir Keir Starmer cannot ignore them.
