New EES border controls: will foreign residents of France be able to use e-gates?
Airports seek solutions to avoid obligatory queuing at border guards’ booths for French residency card and visa holders
Work is being done to adapt e-gates at French airports for the start of EES
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The French government is looking for solutions to avoid foreign residents getting caught up in long queues once the new European Entry / Exit System (EES) border control system gets underway. The launch is planned for later this year.
EES, a system of digital checks, will require non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals visiting from outside the Schengen area to be registered in a central EU database, including providing passport details and their facial image and fingerprints.
At large airports, self-service ‘kiosks’ will allow travellers to input some data before they arrive at the border, but passing in front of a border guard’s desk will, as a minimum, be necessary on the first trip into or out of the Schengen area.
Non-EU/EES/Swiss nationals who live in France and other Schengen countries will not be concerned by EES, but its introduction has raised questions as to whether they will get caught up in longer non-EU/EEA citizen queues, and how they will prove they are residents.
At present, France’s airport rules allow nationals of many countries including the UK and USA to use ‘Parafe’ e-gates at larger airports (and Eurostar and Eurotunnel terminals) to reduce queuing, but it is not clear what will happen when EES begins (Parafes are also used by EU/EEA/Swiss nationals).
French airports’ body Union des Aéroports Français (UAF) reports that the Parafes are being adapted to link with EES, so that on subsequent entries and exits (once a visitor has had an EES database file created on the first entry/exit) visitors of these nationalities will not be obliged to pass in front of a passport official’s booth each time, but will be able to input data at a kiosk and then pass through a Parafe.
However, it is not clear if the gates will be set up to recognise the status of foreign nationals who live in Schengen states, for example via a scan of their residency card – or whether they will in future be obliged to queue at an official’s booth on every entry and exit.
A legal expert for UAF, Gaël Léon, told The Connexion: “The French authorities are carrying out legal and technical work with a view to making this [recognition of residents’ status by the Parafes] possible in due course.
“There remain, however, some obstacles to deal with – especially with regards to Cnil [data protection authority] and the Conseil d’état [top administrative authority] relating to regulatory aspects.
“That makes it impossible to give a calendar for when it will be put in place.”
He added: “The French airports have the same objective of maintaining this simplified border route via the Parafes for third-country [non-EU] citizens who are long-term residents, and in recent months we have had regular exchanges with the authorities so as to optimise all possible passenger routes depending on the type of traveller.”
UAF general delegate Nicolas Paulissen said the pre-registration kiosks are now installed at the larger airports, and have been tested. “Improvements have been made where there was negative feedback,” he said.
This comes as the EU is pressing ahead with plans for a ‘progressive’ start to EES, from October if possible.
This means it will initially start at some border points and not others and/or some passengers will be asked to register and others waved through. Over six months the system will build up to be operative everywhere and for all relevant travellers.
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Mr Paulissen said the plan is “fairly reassuring to the airports”.
“It will make things easier and is a plus compared to what was previously proposed,” he said.
“We still have a few months, so it should go alright – this extra year we have been given makes things more comfortable.”
He added: “It could start from October 2025, if the required legal text [allowing for a ‘progressive’ start] is adopted by the summer. That will depend on the legislative timetable.”
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Individual countries will also have to work out plans for which border points will start to operate EES first, and how the scheme will expand to full operation after six months.
Mr Paulissen said this has not yet been decided.
“We know that from the first day there will have to be at least one entry/exit point operating EES. But whether it will be Lyon, Toulouse, Roissy, Bergerac… I don’t know.
“By the end of 30 days at least 10% of border crossings [by the target visitors] must be activated. Each state will decide which these will be.
“But at first the collection of biometric data – fingerprints and facial images – will be optional. That’s the part that’s going to take the most time.
“Then after another 30 days the biometric data will be obligatory.”
