Passport scans, fingerprints and facial images could be collected without passengers leaving their cars under a system prepared by Getlink, the owner of Eurotunnel. According to The Guardian, the company has secured permission to test camera supervision of biometric checks. That does not mean the new procedure is already operating: its start date remains unknown.
In a report published on 14 November, the newspaper says kiosks have been prepared at Folkestone and Calais, on either side of the Channel Tunnel. Two stations are planned for each car to scan passports and collect biometric data, allowing passengers to complete those steps without getting out.
Getlink chief executive Yann Leriche told The Guardian that permission to test camera supervision at the kiosks had been obtained following discussions with the European Commission and the French authorities. The cameras would allow police to oversee data collection without an officer having to stand at every station. The account of that permission comes from the operator’s chief executive, as quoted by the newspaper.
A two-year trial, with no launch date
According to the report, the trial is intended to run for two years. Getlink would like the arrangement to become permanent if it proves successful. For now, however, this is a planned trial rather than final approval for a permanent border-check procedure.
A technical issue also remains before it can begin. Leriche told the newspaper that the kiosks were ready, but their connection to the French system was still not working. He added that he did not know when France would activate the arrangement. Having the equipment in place therefore does not mean passengers can already use it in the way described.
The operator’s stated aim is to reduce the risk of queues and logistical difficulties associated with the introduction of EES, the EU’s Entry/Exit System. Faster processing remains an intended benefit, not a demonstrated result of the trial. For anyone planning a Eurotunnel journey, the key point is that the announcement does not yet establish a date for a change to border procedures.
