No exemption from biometric checks for British summer travelers

File photo. [Petros Giannakouris/AP]

Greece says a caller biometric screening system astatine airports for non-European Union citizens is afloat operational, rejecting reports of a ceremonial summertime exemption for British travelers. But engaged airports will beryllium allowed to unopen disconnected scanners when needed this summer, officials say.

“We person not received immoderate further update oregon clarification arsenic to whether, for example, specific nationalities are temporarily exempt from the applicable procedure,” the Foreign Ministry said Thursday successful effect to a question from The Associated Press.

The EU Entry-Exit System, oregon EES, began operating astatine Greek airports and different introduction points connected April 10 arsenic portion of a Europe-wide rollout, replacing passport stamps with biometric information collected done photographs and integer fingerprints.

Greek officials visiting the UK had earlier suggested the request would beryllium waived this summertime for travelers from Britain, an important marketplace for Greece’s tourism industry.

Current travel guidance from the UK Foreign Office states: “Greek authorities person indicated that they will not cod biometric information (fingerprints and photos) for UK travelers arsenic portion of EES. Follow the proposal of authorities connected the ground.”

But European and Greek authorities aboriginal clarified that suspension of the system is permitted lone during periods of precocious rider traffic astatine specific introduction points and does not use to immoderate state oregon nationality.

In practice, however, galore travelers are still apt to walk done airports without the caller biometric checks, arsenic EU rules let temporary suspensions during the aboriginal stages of implementation.

Last week, Greek constabulary described the integer introduction system arsenic being successful “full operation,” but said they would take “all indispensable measures to guarantee the smooth travel of visitors … making afloat use of provisions successful (European) Union legislation.”

Private tour operators fearfulness further airdrome checks could discourage travel from the UK – particularly precocious bookings – to the EU and widen the disparity with European Union citizens, who tin determination within the bloc without passport checks.

Nearly 38 cardinal radical visited Greece past year, spending 23 cardinal euros ($25 billion) and boosting the country’s 204 billion-euro economy.

The largest fig of visitors came from Germany, astatine astir 6 million, followed by Britain astatine 4.9 million. [AP]