French warn of civil unrest as new EU border controls loom

Strict new EU border controls for British holidaymakers could lead to civil unrest at airports, French officials have warned.

All non-EU passport holders will be required to have their fingerprints captured and their picture taken on their first visit to the bloc after the measures are introduced on October 6.

The new policy, called the Entry-Exit System (EES), has led to serious concerns about passenger backlogs at airport arrival halls. Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton, the foreign secretary, recently said he was “really worried’ about “long delays” for travellers catching ferries from Dover, or Eurostar trains from St Pancras International in London.

This has been echoed by officials in France, where there is increasing concern that “serious operational problems” could lead to backlogs of holidaymakers