The European Union's new biometric border system, the Entry/Exit System (EES), has plunged major airports into disarray, forcing non-EU travellers to endure waits of up to two hours. This digital expansion of Fortress Europe, fully launched just four months ago on April 10, 2026, is creating unprecedented delays at hubs like Frankfurt, Amsterdam, and Munich. The system, designed to register fingerprints and facial scans, has doubled wait times, leading to widespread passenger frustration and missed flights.
New data from the Financial Times and travel analytics group Qsensor reveals the extent of the disruption. In Frankfurt, average wait times soared to 120 minutes last month, a stark increase from 60 minutes in July of the previous year. Munich Airport now sees waits of up to 60 minutes, up from 31 minutes, while Amsterdam's maximum waiting times have rocketed from 80 to 120 minutes in the same period. These peak periods can mean two-hour queues, effectively criminalising the movement of those deemed "outsiders" to the EU.
The Digital Walls of Fortress Europe
Every traveller from outside the EU must scan their passport and undergo a facial scan, along with registering fingerprints on their initial entry. This biometric dragnet is a cornerstone of the EU's escalating border regime. However, the system has been plagued by malfunctions since its inception. Travellers have often been forced to provide fingerprints on multiple trips, a clear sign of the EES kiosks malfunctioning and requiring more assistance than operatives anticipated.
The chaos has drawn sharp criticism, even from within the travel industry. Ryanair's chief executive, Michael O’Leary, lambasted the system as "misdesigned" in July. "Only the Europeans would invent sh*t like this," he stated, highlighting the large queues his airline witnessed at some 15 airports across the continent. His comments underscore the systemic failure of this new layer of border control.
Chaos and Criminalisation
In an attempt to mitigate the strain on passengers and airport workers, some airports have temporarily deactivated parts of the EES checks, specifically foregoing fingerprint collection during peak times. This temporary reprieve is set to expire next month, in September. Eight EU member states and Switzerland have formally requested the European Commission to extend this policy, acknowledging the system's inherent flaws and the human cost of its implementation.
The Commission, however, has offered a muted response. A spokesperson stated they are in "close and constructive contact" with affected member states, considering the possibility of continuing the practice. They attempted to downplay the widespread issues, claiming EES wasn't disastrous everywhere and that registration takes an average of 70 seconds. The spokesperson asserted that "in most cases" the impact on non-EU travellers has been limited, a claim that directly contradicts the reported two-hour waits and doubled queue times. This rhetoric exposes the chasm between the EU's stated commitment to efficiency and the lived reality of those caught in its biometric net. The EES is not merely a technical glitch; it is a deliberate barrier, designed to control and deter, further entrenching the racist logic of Fortress Europe.