The EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) has descended into chaos, creating mile-long queues at Dover and Eurotunnel terminals. Families faced six-hour waits on Saturday, with some missing flights and ferries. The system, designed to fingerprint and photograph non-EU travellers, has been plagued by technical glitches and inadequate staffing.
For the UK, this is more than a travel headache. It is a vindication of the government’s post-Brexit border strategy. Home Office sources are smugly pointing out that Britain’s own electronic travel authorisation (ETA) scheme, already in place for Qataris and Gulf nationals, has operated without a hitch. The message is clear: we control our own borders.
This is no accident. The government has quietly been building a frictionless digital border, modelled on the US ESTA and Australia’s ETA. The EU’s troubles only highlight the contrast. One senior Whitehall official told me: “We were told that leaving the EU would mean chaos. But the chaos is on their side.”
Downing Street is pouncing. Sunak’s team has already briefed friendly newspapers that the UK’s “nimble approach” is superior. They are linking the EES fiasco to Labour’s pro-EU sympathies, arguing that Sir Keir Starmer would be “weak and wobbly” on border security. Expect this to become a central attack line in the coming weeks.
But behind the triumphalism, there is a note of caution. The ETA scheme will be rolled out to all non-visa nationals by end of 2024, including Europeans. The government’s own systems have not been stress-tested at scale. A single digital meltdown could turn the tables. For now, however, the political winds are blowing London’s way.
What does this mean for the Westminster village? The Eurosceptic wing of the Conservative Party is delighted. The European Research Group (ERG) is already plotting to use the EES chaos to demand further divergence from EU rules. Trade unions and port operators, meanwhile, are calling for calm heads and practical solutions.
The prime minister’s allies are confident. One No 10 source said: “This shows that our independent trade and border policy is the right one. We are open for business, but on our terms.” The question is whether the government can sustain the narrative when the next set of holiday travel stats come out.
For now, the EU continues to run its playbook. But in the court of public opinion, the UK is winning. The game has only just begun.
