Holidaymakers from the UK who plan to reach France have been warned of delays from November 1, 2024.
The French authorities announced earlier this week that from November 1, the internal Schengen border controls will be reinstated for another six months, until April 30, 2025.
Following this decision, travel experts have said that Brits should be prepared for longer waiting times when travelling to France from its neighbouring countries, Schengen.News reports.
Even though the checks will not be carried out on every individual but will rather be spot checks, the chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, Paul Charles, said that they would add to delays and uncertainty for Brits, the Telegraph explains.
Charles further said the controls may put off Brits from travelling and, at the same time, expressed concern that other Schengen countries might decide to introduce tightened border controls.
Charles also said he fears that these spot checks may become permanent, making it less convenient for Brits to reach the country.
Once the increased checks become effective, all UK passport holders are expected to be affected. Brits travelling by car or coach from Italy, Luxembourg, or Belgium may be affected more. In addition, those using Eurostar may also experience long waiting times during passport controls.
France Reistates Border Controls to Combat Terrorism & Irregular Migration
In its notification to the EU Commission, France said that it was reinstating border controls in an attempt to offer more internal security amid increased terrorist threats and irregular migration attempts.
The controls will take place with all six Schengen neighbouring countries – Belgium, Spain, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Germany, and Italy.
This means that all non-EU citizens who want to enter the territory of France from one of the above-mentioned countries will have to undergo controls.
The decision of France to introduce border controls and keep the measure in place until April 2025 comes not long after the EU decided to delay the launch of the EU’s new border system – the Entry/Exit System (EES).
The EES was set to be launched on November 10 of this year. However, since some member states said that they were not ready for its implementation, the EU decided to delay the launch of the system for an undetermined period.
Instead, the EU authorities said that the system might be introduced gradually. Nonetheless, they did not disclose when any steps on the matter would be taken.
Source: https://schengen.news/brits-heading-to-france-warned-of-delays-from-november-1/
