According to data released by the European Commission, the new digital border control system of the European Union in the first four months of its operation revealed more than 4,000 cases when travelers violated the rules of stay in the Schengen area.
The Entry/Exit System (EES), which was launched on October 12, 2025, replaced the outdated practice of manually stamping passports. Now, the entry and exit of every visitor from non-EU countries is tracked by analyzing biometric parameters. The system collects fingerprints and scans the traveler's face. Its function is to automatically calculate the allowed length of stay.
Important: citizens of non-EU countries who have long-term visas or residence permits are not registered with the EES.
The representative of the European Commission, Henrik Nielsen, reported that 4,000 people were convicted of exceeding the length of stay, and 16,000 travelers were denied entry, with about a quarter of these refusals occurring among those who had previously violated the permitted period. stay.
Although the central system is working smoothly, on-site implementation at airports and checkpoints is not easy. The launch of EES is carried out in stages to reduce the load. Initially, about 10% of travelers registered, from January 9, 2026, this figure increased to 35%, and from March 10 to 50%. The full transition to the digital system and the cancellation of stamps are scheduled for April 10, 2026.
In practice, some airports, such as Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Lisbon Airport, experienced difficulties and delays.
Airport operators warn that border control time in EES zones may increase by 70%. During peak hours, waiting times can reach three hours.
The impact of the EES on EU policy towards third countries
The data collected by EES is important not only for individual violators. They directly affect the European Union's policy on visa-free entry for third countries.
From December 2025, the EU may suspend the visa-free regime for a country if the number of stay violations by its citizens has increased by only 30% (previously the threshold was above 50%). Before the advent of the EES, Brussels did not have accurate data to count such violations. Now, thanks to the system, the European Commission receives real-time data backed by biometrics.: they see which countries the citizens of, how often and for how many days they exceed the length of stay.
The updated mechanism also provides a new basis for suspending the visa-free regime - the presence of the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program in the country. The latest report from the European Commission says that the mere existence of such a program is a sufficient reason to impose sanctions.
Five Caribbean countries (Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia) that have such programs are currently under the greatest threat. Although they implemented reforms in 2024 (they introduced mandatory interviews and tightened checks), Brussels has not yet given a final assessment of whether these measures are sufficient.
Source: IMI
