Channel biometric border checks face more delays
The checks, in which fingerprints and photos are taken, were meant to be fully in place by October.
Channel biometric border checks face more delays
The Port of Dover has spent £45m installing 84 booths in preparation for the new system
New European Union biometric border checks planned for the Port of Dover may face further delays, the BBC has learned.
The technology, which takes the fingerprints and photos of non-EU citizens, was proposed in April 2016 and began its roll out in October 2025, with countries allowed flexibility to suspend the system in cases of long queues or technical problems.
October 2026 was supposed to see its full implementation but the French Ministry of the Interior has confirmed "flexibility is being granted" until the end of 2026.
The European Commission has declined to comment.
The Port of Dover has installed 80 kiosks to gather the information while Eurotunnel has set a dedicated area of the terminal aside for the checks.
Doug Bannister, the port's chief executive, said: "We invested £45m in a brand new facility, reclaimed land from the sea, we're ready to go, we're looking forward to being able to turn it on.
"All we know is, somewhere between the kiosks on the ground here in the UK and the French system, something's not happening."
Doug Bannister, the Port of Dover's chief executive, says the technology is in place on the Kent side of the Channel
Over the summer the French authorities carried out a simpler version of the checks, recording passengers' details on a database but not gathering biometric details.
Kevin Mills, the leader of Labour-run Dover District Council, still has concerns over the effect on the town when the new system is fully introduced.
He said: "We still need some assurances, we still need to know that when it is introduced fully it will work, and we need to see it tested live.
"We've got through this summer but we still have holiday periods to come."
A simplified version of the checks was used in Dover over the summer
In a statement the French Ministry of the Interior said: "We confirm that, regarding the implementation of the EES and the widespread activation of pre-registration systems (kiosks and tablets), flexibility is being granted until the end of the year."