You may keep in mind the time period “Grexit”. It was floating round in direction of the tip of the final decade when there was discuss that Greece may comply with the UK in taking the courageous resolution to depart the European Union. You should have seen that by no means occurred. Neither did the rumours that Greece may tumble out of the euro – abandoning the one forex in favour of a brand new drachma – come to something. Discuss of vaults filled with freshly printed banknotes able to enter circulation from Athens to Zante proved false.
But this weekend it has emerged that Greece is selecting its personal course to keep away from the kinds of airport chaos that we now have been witnessing at numerous European areas for the previous week. As you might recall, since 10 April, each Schengen space frontier is meant to be making use of the EU entry-exit system in all its biometric glory to British passport holders:
- Fingerprints and facial biometric at first registration
- A type of biometrics (nearly all the time the face) on subsequent border crossings
These guidelines apply to all “third-country nationals”, together with Australians, Canadian and Venezuelans. However British travellers to Europe outnumber all of them put collectively.
I had beforehand warned that the queues at small Greek island airports may develop alarmingly lengthy. On some days in summer time, they will have upwards of two,000 UK passport holders arriving and departing. The Greek border authorities, like each frontier organisation, need to get individuals on their method as rapidly as potential. However the staffing points are appreciable.
However late on Friday, Eleni Skarveli, the director of the Greek nationwide tourism organisation within the UK, posted on LinkedIn: “When excellent news arrives within the midst of a disaster, its influence is even larger.”
She revealed that British passport holders at the moment are exempt from biometric registration at Greek border crossing factors – “making certain a smoother and extra environment friendly arrival expertise in Greece”.
This unilateral transfer, she stated, “is predicted to considerably cut back ready instances and ease congestion at airports”.
The essential facet, in my opinion, is definitely border processing on departure. Calamitous hold-ups on the outbound passport management at Milan Linate airport final Sunday scuppered the return dwelling for greater than 100 easyJet passengers who have been booked to journey to Manchester.
So what is going to occur as an alternative? Ms Skarveli advised me: “Virtually, because of this the entry course of in place earlier than the implementation of the EES will stay unchanged.”
In my expertise, which means the frontier official taking probably the most cursory of glimpses on the traveller’s passport, adopted by a perfunctory stamp and a well mannered smile. Fifteen seconds, tops, in contrast with 5 instances longer for the entry-exit system.
This transfer has the, er, fingerprints of pragmatists throughout it. The nice and cozy Greek welcome for British travellers isn’t just an instance of xenophilia, the appreciation of international individuals; it is usually an financial important. Whereas a northern Italian metropolis equivalent to Milan in all probability gained’t discover if some UK guests are deterred by the EES shambles, Greece needs to keep away from any such issues.
Simply earlier than the EU appointment for making each Schengen space frontier 100 per cent biometric and ending “moist stamping”, Brussels conceded that some areas wouldn’t meet the entry-exit system deadline.
On the three “juxtaposed” border controls within the UK – at Dover, Folkestone and London St Pancras – the costly EES kiosks are nonetheless not hooked as much as the French police aux frontieres IT system. Every week in the past, I wrote: “This fiasco is ready to proceed by way of the summer time for 150 extra days, to Monday 7 September – handily, on the finish of the principle summer time holidays. Till then, all you are able to do is obey the native directions. Good luck, everybody.”
Evidently, officers in Athens took the view: why danger cheesing off British guests by imposing the digital borders scheme by the e book, if others usually are not?
An finish date for the Greek EES alleviation has not been talked about, however I think about it might stretch past that new EU deadline – probably till the final taverna proprietor within the serene port of Naoussa on the island of Paros has shut his or her doorways for winter. Greece has stolen a march on her Mediterranean rivals; anticipate others to comply with swimsuit.
Learn extra: Your EU entry-exit system questions answered
Simon Calder, often known as The Man Who Pays His Means, has been writing about journey for The Impartial since 1994. In his weekly opinion column, he explores a key journey problem – and what it means for you.
