London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, May 09, 2025

Rishi Sunak seeking to end post-Brexit travel delays in new deal with Brussels

Rishi Sunak seeking to end post-Brexit travel delays in new deal with Brussels

The Prime Minister is reportedly seeking to end excessive passport check border delays for Britons heading to EU countries.
Rishi Sunak wants to strike a deal with Brussels that would allow Britons to use e-gates for passport checks, according to sources who spoke to the Bloomberg agency.

British citizens have often faced lengthy delays at French, Italian, German and other European airports and ports since the UK quit the EU.

Waits are commonly caused by the manual checking of passports, which include stamping documents.

Mr Sunak is understood to want to use the improved relations with Brussels to push for a new passport agreement that could allow Britons to move through airports and ports more easily.

It comes after the Windsor Framework deal was struck over Northern Ireland trade.

The PM’s official spokesman said he was not aware of any “live discussions” on the issue taking place.

But he added: “We are working closely with the European Commission and member states to understand the impacts of the introduction of the entry exit system for British citizens.

“And our priority is always to minimise unnecessary delays for British passengers and some countries already allow British citizens to use the gates on arrival in certain circumstances.”

The UK already allows EU visitors to use e-gates in Britain but the deal has not been reciprocated by most other European countries.

However Spain decided to let Britons use its e-gates last year, prompting hope with UK officials that a similar arrangement could be expanded across the whole bloc.

The PM has worked to rebuild London’s ties with Brussels, which deteriorated under his predecessors Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.

Mr Sunak will next meet European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen at the G7 summit in Japan next month.

It comes as a new process for entering EU countries is being introduced, which will impact UK passport holders.

From November measures designed to control how long travellers from outside the EU — including Britain — are allowed to stay in the 27 Schengen Zone countries are set to be introduced.

The Entry-Exit System (EES) will see holidaymakers and travellers scan their passports at an automated self-service kiosk prior to crossing the border.

The European Commission’s department for migration and home affairs said: “EES will replace the current system of manual stamping of passports, which is time-consuming, does not provide reliable data on border crossings and does not allow a systematic detection of overstayers.”

UK passport holders travelling to Schengen countries will also need to obtain travel authorisation online through the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS). It lasts three years and is expected to cost €7 for all travellers between 18 and 70.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Historic Papal Conclave Set to Commence in Rome
Huge Copper, Gold, and Silver Discovery in Argentina and Chile — But the Profits Go Abroad
Prince Harry is pleading for reconciliation — but the royals are just as sick of his victimhood as everyone else
The Road to Freedom: She Protested Putin, Escaped House Arrest, and Survived a 2,800-Kilometer Journey
OpenAI's Flip-Flop: No Longer Going Commercial, Back to Nonprofit, After Musk Lawsuit and Backlash
“Trump Supporter” Aims to Bring a MAGA-Style Shift to Romania
First From China: Zhao Xintong Wins the Snooker World Championship
Nvidia Faces Billion-Dollar Losses – Warns: China Is on Its Way to Becoming an AI Superpower
Trump Rules Out Third Term, Names JD Vance and Marco Rubio as Potential Successors
Mexico Says ‘No’ to U.S. Troops: President Sheinbaum Rejects Trump’s Offer to Fight Cartels
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Storms the Map, Wrecking the Two-Party Monopoly
DOGE: Reimagining Government Operations with AI
Common Sense Returns to Britain's Legal System: UK Supreme Court Declares a Woman Is… a Woman
Beijing Says U.S. Is ‘Reaching Out’ for Tariff Talks Amid Soaring Trade Tensions
U.K. Court Rejects Prince Harry’s Final Appeal Over Police Security
Prince Harry’s Heartfelt Outburst Rocks the Royal Family
Trump Shares AI-Generated Image of Himself as… Pope, Prompting Outrage Reaction
Transgender Swimmer Secures Five Gold Medals at U.S. Masters Championship
Prince Harry: “I Want Reconciliation with My Family”
Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has now been officially labeled “right-wing extremist” by the federal office for the so-called “protection of the constitution.”
Amazon Launches Satellite Internet Service Amidst Competition with SpaceX
Transformative Changes in Women's Wrestling: The Rise of WWE Superstars
The Rush to the White Gold: Global Investment Surge in Natural Hydrogen Exploration
This is a day in Spain without electricity and internet
Reform UK Surprises in British Elections, Challenging Traditional Two-Party System
180-Year-Old Christian University in South Carolina Announces Closure Due to Unmet $6 Million Fundraising Goal
Brazilian Woman Jailed for Fourteen Years for Writing “You Lost, Idiot” on Statue During Protest
Trump Administration Removes National Security Adviser Mike Waltz Amid Signal Chat Controversy
Dutch Politician Eva Vlaardingerbroek Receives Spyware Threat Alert from Apple
Paramount Board Considers Settlement in Trump’s $20 Billion Lawsuit Over "60 Minutes" Interview
U.S. Economy Shrink in Trump’s First Quarter as Tariff Policy Raises Questions
Deadline Looms for RTS Meter Replacement: Hundreds of Thousands at Risk of Heating Disruption
Sweden Grapples with Deadly Gun Violence: Suspect Arrested After Three Young Men Killed in Uppsala Hair Salon
Walz Reveals Why Harris Chose Him as Her Running Mate and Reflects on Democratic Losses
Spain Restores Power After Unprecedented Nationwide Blackout
Carney Secures Liberal Mandate in Canada’s Federal Election
Death Penalty Sought as Luigi Manion Pleads Not Guilty in CEO Murder Case
President Trump contacts Jeff Bezos after reports of Amazon considering listing tariff surcharges; company clarifies no such plan for main platform
Spain and Portugal Recover from Massive Blackout
Liverpool Clinches Record-Equalling 20th English League Title Under Arne Slot
Singapore Politicians Warn Against Foreign Interference in Election
Driver Ploughs into Vancouver Festival Crowd, Killing Nine
Depression, Fear of Defamation, and a Tragic End: New Details on Virginia Giuffre’s Suicide
“Sharia for UK, Allah Akbar!”
Massive Explosion at Iran's Bandar Abbas Port Linked to Suspicious Chemical Shipments
Incident Reflection: A Harsh Reality Check
Pakistani migrants to Danish man: “ “We have 5 children while you have 1 or 2. In 10 years, there will be more Pakistanis than Danes here.“
Clashes Erupt in London as Tensions Rise Between Indian and Pakistani Communities
Specialized anti-drone weapons deployed among security personnel Ahead of Papal Funeral
How do you fix this culture?
×