British holidaymakers could face queues of up to five hours in cities across Europe from Monday, travel experts have warned, with EU border checks set to resume in full following a temporary pause over the summer.
The new Entry/Exit System (EES) system for British passport holders and other third-country travellers to nations within the EU or Schengen area initially came into effect in April, but member states were allowed to relax some restrictions to ease congestion at borders during peak season.
However, these permissions, which included suspending biometric checks during busy periods, will expire for the 29 countries using EES on Sunday – despite several countries asking the European Commission to keep it.
Shorts
Caption: Reform UK leader Nigel Farage speaking during a press conference at Royal Horseguards Hotel in central London. Picture date: Monday August 10, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: James Manning/PA Wire Photographer: James Manning Provider: James Manning/PA Wire Source: PA Copyright: PA Wire
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How Farage is facing his moment of maximum danger
Will Hazel
Chief Political Correspondent
Reform UK’s annual conference has got off to a nightmarish start for Nigel Farage.
The conference that was supposed to convince voters that Farage is a plausible prime minister, began with two of his key allies forced to stand aside in the wake of an explosive Channel 4 donations sting.
Jukes and Orr step down
Dan Jukes, perhaps Farage’s closest adviser, and James Orr, the party’s head of policy, have stepped down pending the outcome of an investigation into the revelations uncovered by Channel 4 and Verbatim.
Thursday night’s sting showed Jukes seemingly discussing a way to get round the legal ban on foreign donations and Orr potentially breaching electoral law by soliciting undeclared donations for polling which.
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Personal blow to Farage
Reform UK’s party conference in Birmingham will feature Jordan Bardella, the rising star and president of the National Rally, who will be addressing the gathering on Friday (Photo: Oli Scarff/AFP)
Huge question remain
With two of Farage’s closest confidants out of action, huge questions now hang over what happens to Reform’s operation in the coming weeks and months.
Lack of experience
While Farage will feel wounded by their loss, one senior Reform insider said the fact that Orr and Jukes had allowed themselves to get exposed highlighted the lack of experienced figures around Farage.
For a party like Reform, which claims to believe in free speech and freedom of the press, banning journalists looks hypocritical with a capital ‘H’ (Photo: Oli Scarff/AFP)
Pair are ‘not coming back’
On Friday morning, there was still confusion about the future of Jukes and Orr.
Reform’s formal statement said they had “stepped down from their respective positions pending the outcome of the investigation”, but party chairman Lee Anderson told Sky News that they “are not coming back”.
Caption: FILE PHOTO: Advisor Dan Jukes speaks to UK Reform party leader Nigel Farage before an interview ahead of Thursday’s general election in Clacton-on-Sea, Britain, July 2, 2024. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo Photographer: Hollie Adams Provider: REUTERS Source: REUTERS Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 06: Reform UK’s Head of Policy James Orr attends as Zia Yusuf, Reform UK’s spokesman for home affairs, holds a press conference on employment policy on August 06, 2026 in London, England. Yusuf said his party would propose legislation that company CEOs and directors criminally liable for the illegal employment of migrant workers, even if they were unaware of a worker’s immigration status. The policy, which the party has termed the “Deliveroo Law,” after the online delivery service, could fine offending companies 10 percent of their global revenues. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images) Photographer: Leon Neal Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images Europe Copyright: 2026 Getty Images
‘Off the books’ Reform polling
Questions remain about how much Farage knew about what Jukes and Orr were up to.
The Channel 4 investigation included secret footage of Farage at a lunch with Jukes in which he appeared to be aware of the ‘off the books’ polling.
Caption: (FILES) Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage (C), talks with Dan Jukes (centre L), as he visits the area where two men were stabbed the day before, in the Golders Green neighbourhood of north London, on April 30, 2026. Two senior officials resigned from Nigel Farage’s hard-right Reform UK on September 4, 2026, as the scandal-hit party was reported to the police over fresh allegations it flouted donations rules. Farage’s long-term aide Dan Jukes and Reform’s head of policy James Orr stepped down, the party said, adding that it had launched a probe into the allegations revealed in an undercover investigation by Channel 4 News. (Photo by CARLOS JASSO / AFP via Getty Images) Photographer: CARLOS JASSO Provider: AFP via Getty Images Source: AFP Copyright: AFP or licensors Caption: (FILES) Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is handed a sign by Dan Jukes as he poses for members of the media at a photo shoot to publicise a slogan ahead of the local elections in May, in central London on April 10, 2026. Two senior officials resigned from Nigel Farage’s hard-right Reform UK on September 4, 2026, as the scandal-hit party was reported to the police over fresh allegations it flouted donations rules. Farage’s long-term aide Dan Jukes and Reform’s head of policy James Orr stepped down, the party said, adding that it had launched a probe into the allegations revealed in an undercover investigation by Channel 4 News. (Photo by Henry NICHOLLS / AFP via Getty Images) Photographer: HENRY NICHOLLS Provider: AFP via Getty Images Source: AFP Copyright: AFP or licensors
In one section of footage, Jukes appeared to suggest that Reform was receiving donations from undisclosed sources channelled via family members – something which is against the law.
Controversy mounts
Farage is already facing controversy over his decision to accept an undisclosed £5m “gift” from the crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne.
He also faces questions about whether he received undeclared support from convicted fraudster George Cottrell, as well as an investigation by the Met Police into whether party payments before the last election complied with electoral law. All involved deny wrongdoing.
The party has dipped in the polls. This time last year, it was riding high on an average of about 30 per cent – far ahead of Labour and the other parties. Now it’s at about 23 per cent and Labour has inched in front.
Reform’s response
“Make no mistake, this was an exercise in entrapment. Let me be clear, the party has done nothing wrong, taken no illegal money. In fact, no money was taken at all.”
Nigel Farage, Reform UK leader
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage speaking at his party’s annual conference at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham (Photo: AP)
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Thieves steal 11 sheep from Jeremy Clarkson’s farm
Caption: EMBARGOED TO 0001 TUESDAY MAY 26
Undated Handout Photo from Clarkson’s Farm. Pictured: Jeremy Clarkson. See PA Feature SHOWBIZ TV Quickfire Clarkson Farm. WARNING: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature SHOWBIZ TV Quickfire Clarkson Farm. PA Photo. Picture credit should read: Prime Video. NOTE TO EDITORS: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature SHOWBIZ TV Quickfire Clarkson Farm. Editors, please note this is under an embargo until 00:01 on Tuesday, May 26 Photographer: Prime Video Provider: Prime Video Source: PA
Jeremy Clarkson has said that 11 sheep have been stolen from his Diddly Squat farm in Oxfordshire.
The Clarkson’s Farm presenter said he discovered the animals were missing when he went to count his flock in Chadlington with co-star Kaleb Cooper.
Clarkson appeals to thieves
Clarkson, 66, said the Easycare sheep were worth more than £2,000 at market, and has urged the thieves to “put them back”.
He told The Sun: “The police have been very good, actually… I said, ‘I know it’s going to sound like I’m from 1856, but I’ve had some sheep stolen’.”
Caption: EMBARGOED TO 0001 TUESDAY MAY 26
Undated Handout Photo from Clarkson’s Farm. Pictured: Jeremy Clarkson. See PA Feature SHOWBIZ TV Quickfire Clarkson Farm. WARNING: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature SHOWBIZ TV Quickfire Clarkson Farm. PA Photo. Picture credit should read: Prime Video. NOTE TO EDITORS: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature SHOWBIZ TV Quickfire Clarkson Farm. Editors, please note this is under an embargo until 00:01 on Tuesday, May 26 Photographer: Prime Video Provider: Prime Video Source: PA Copyright: PA
Caption: Sheep graze on White Horse Hill, Uffington, Oxfordshire. Picture date: Thursday August 13, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire Photographer: Jonathan Brady Provider: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire Source: PA
‘Anyone could be anywhere’
Clarkson claimed the theft had occurred at night – or during the day when the farm was not being filmed for its Prime Video TV show.
He said of recording days that there is “a film crew here all the time” and ”a drone in the air”, which may have deterred or even caught the thieves.
Asked whether he believed the show had made his farm a target, Clarkson said: “It’s more likely to make you a target than less, but I still don’t think they’ve been stolen because they’re on Diddly Squat.”
He added: “This is 1,000 acres, it’s a big farm. Anyone could be anywhere and you wouldn’t know.”
No arrests made as livestock theft costs farms £4.5 million
The theft was reportedly raised with Thames Valley Police by Cooper and land manager Charlie Ireland. No arrests have been made and the force has appealed for anyone with information to contact them.
The National Farmers Union (NFU) reported in May that livestock theft had increased by nearly a third in 2025 – costing British farmers £4.5 million.
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Exclusive
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Caption: FILE – This 2014 photo made available by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a feeding female Anopheles funestus mosquito. (James Gathany/CDC via AP, File) Photographer: James Gathany Provider: AP Source: CDC
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Why yellow fever mosquitoes are now breeding in the UK
An invasive mosquito species known to spread yellow fever, dengue, Zika and chikungunya viruses has been found breeding in some east London homes.
While it is the fourth time the Aedes aegypti insects have been detected in the UK – it is the first time they have been discovered reproducing.
Accidental hitchikers
These insects are usually found in countries with tropical and subtropical climates and are believed to have been transported into the country accidentally in baggage, on vehicles, or in nursery plants.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the risk to the public was low and there was no evidence of humans being infected.
Planting Nepeta and the coir pot into the planting hole (Photo: Tim Sandall/RHS) In 2022, there were 71 cases of locally acquired dengue in Europe, the same number as were recorded over the whole of the previous 11 years (Photo: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
Measures are now in place to destroy the larvae, and surveillance and trapping have been stepped up as part of the UKHSA’s Mosquito Watch scheme.
Too cold to survive in UK
Despite recent heatwaves, the overall UK climate is too cold for this species to survive long-term, the UKHSA said.
However, some expects warn that the UK would continue to see cases of invasive mosquitoes. As the climate warms, there may also be increased reports of them being able to survive.
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‘No evidence of infections’
There is no evidence that these mosquitoes have caused human infections and importantly, to date, there is no evidence of the mosquitoes or larvae being detected in nearby public areas.
UKHSA’s head of medical entomology, Dr Jolyon Medlock
Caption: A tiger mosquito bites a person in the French riviera city of Nice, on August 10, 2023. (Photo by Valery HACHE / AFP) (Photo by VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images) Photographer: VALERY HACHE Provider: AFP via Getty Images Source: AFP
Hidden stowaways
Insects and other hidden stowaways such as lizards, geckos, and snakes can accidentally enter the UK inside shipments.
The massive volume of global plant trade means shipments move too fast for customers to catch every small creature or minuscule larvae.
‘Bulbs are relatively inexpensive and lavish planting is often possible but so is over-ordering’
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How AI is surging fraud cases to £10m a year
Humans can only identify AI text 53% of the time, studies show
AI has enabled fraud losses to swell to nearly £10m this year, up from £1.2m the year before, the City of London Police Report Fraud study has found.
It comes amid a general increase in fraud, as the force reported that more than £3.2bn was lost to fraudsters in that period, up 26 per cent on the previous year.
How is AI making fraud worse?
AI is making common investment and romance scams much more sophisticated, meaning they appear more legitimate and real than they did in the past.
Romance fraudsters can use AI to create fake but realistic dating and social media profiles, build relationships using real-time translation tools, and create fraud scripts for “automated relationship management”, the study said.
Cases of “facetiming” make it “almost certain” that real-time AI generation is being used to dupe victims, it added.
AI can also be used to create imitations of trusted public figures endorsing investment opportunities, while AI-cloned voices are being used to bypass banking security measures.
AI fraud on the rise
Breaking down the numbers
20%
The rise in investment fraud
Or £911m in the past year
£122m
The amount lost to romance fraud
Romance fraud rose by 15 per cent in the last year
AI scams more ‘believable’
Criminals are using AI-generated adverts, celebrity deep fakes, synthetic identities, voice technologies to make their approach to victims more and more compelling and believable on an ongoing basis, and I think AI is clearly a leader in that space.
City of London Police’s service delivery director Chris Bell
An advertisement to create AI girls reflected in a public service announcement issued by the FBI regarding malicious actors manipulating photos and videos to create explicit content and sextortion schemes in the US (Photo: Stefani REYNOLDS / AFP)
Dyson has released a new AI powered toothbrush that costs £419.99. The product takes videos inside your mouth, identifies gaps between teeth and sprays liquid in those spaces to help you floss. While some online users have expressed their excitement over the release of the toothbrush, others are sceptical about the hefty price tag and the use of AI. #dyson#dysontoothbrush
Passengers (pictured at Malaga Airport) previously reported missing flights home after being stuck in huge lines to undergo the EU border biometric checks (Photo: John Calladine)
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Taking a trip abroad? Beware the EU change coming in next week
A journey into the European Union may soon take travellers significantly longer as the bloc prepares to reintroduce Entry/Exit System (EES) checks.
The fingerprint scans led to reports of six-hour-long airport queues earlier this year and threaten to disrupt journeys during the October half-term.
The European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) has launched with mixed success (Photo: Justin Tallis/ AFP / Getty Images)
The EU allowed member states to delay the full rollout over the summer in the event of sizeable disruption.
However, this flexibility will be removed from Monday, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) trade group.
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Missed flights and connections
Delays caused by EES, which was launched in April, have resulted in people missing flights, being offloaded from aircraft and missing connections.
Ryanair is among the airlines opposed to EU’s plan for two free cabin bags included in a basic ticket, as it says there wouldn’t be enough space (Photo: Getty)British holidaymakers arriving at airports like Geneva have been stuck in long queues after arriving in Europe (Photo: Paul Moston)
The system requires biometric checks and replaces traditional stamps, but passengers have been told planes will not wait for passengers who have been delayed by checks.
Border checks criticism
The new checks have received widespread criticism from travel industry figureheads.
Kenton Jarvis, the boss of easyJet, warned that the EU risked putting Britons off visiting altogether if they were forced to queue for hours or risk being stranded after missing their return flight.
Thomas Reynaert, head of external affairs at the IATA, said the scheme would only work once the technology is reliable and all installed booths are operational.
Even then, staff numbers must be sufficient to take over the manual processing of passengers should the system break down.
Explained
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EES gives Europe ‘bad rep’
These are real impacts being felt by passengers. That’s bad if you’re travelling alone and even worse if you’re travelling with family and small children. It gives Europe a bad reputation. When systems fail, passengers lose trust in the system and when people are late, airlines pay a high cost.
Thomas Reynaert, head of external affairs at the International Air Transport Association
Caption: Long queues at the UK Border checkpoint, following a glitch in the electronic gate system, at London Heathrow Airport, in London, UK, on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Immigration officers were forced to manually process incoming passengers. Photographer: Julia Manns/Bloomberg via Getty Images Photographer: Bloomberg Provider: Bloomberg via Getty Images Source: Bloomberg
EU Entry-Exit System (EES) border checks could mean longer queues for UK travellers heading to Europe this summer, with some holidaymakers already facing delays of more than four hours at Dover. Residents and travellers are worried the new biometric checks could cause even more disruption when the school holidays begin. Do you think Dover is ready for the summer rush? Read more via the link above ⬆️ #Dover#EES#EntryExitSystem#News#Travelling
In July, nine countries – Greece, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Switzerland and the Netherlands – called the loophole’s planned end “a source of serious and legitimate concern” in a letter to European Commissioner for Internal and Migration Affairs Magnus Brunner.
Asked about the matter during a press briefing this week, the European Commission said it was in “close and constructive contact” with the “few member states where some adjustments are needed at certain border crossing points”.
It added that there was a “strong joint will” to make the system work and that the Commission was ready to provide “additional support” to affected member states which could include “operational assistance” and additional officers being deployed.
With the EES system set to resume in full from next week, here are some of the cities where long queues could await British travellers.
Queues could last ‘as long as five hours’ at Brussels, Paris, Amsterdam
John Sullivan, commercial director of Advantage Travel Partnership, the UK’s largest consortium of independent travel business, said the need to address the problems surrounding EES is becoming “increasingly urgent”.
“Although some airports may have the technology, staffing and processes in place to ensure the system operates with limited disruption, the European Commission cannot overlook the fact that nine member states are questioning its claims that the EES rollout is proceeding as planned,” he told The i Paper.
Sullivan suggested that British passengers at airports in capital cities such as Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam could face lengthy waits when the EES checks resume.
“With some of Europe’s busiest airports, including Brussels, Paris and Amsterdam, still facing the possibility of queues lasting as long as five hours, the immediate priority must be resolving the problems already being experienced before adding further layers of bureaucracy,” he said.
“People spend months looking forward to and saving for their holidays, and they should be able to enjoy that time creating memories rather than being stuck in airport queues.
“The decision to postpone the introduction of ETIAS later this year demonstrates that pragmatic action is possible when necessary. The ongoing issues with EES now require the same level of urgency.”
Which other airports could be affected?
Earlier this summer, budget airline Ryanair identified seven popular European airports where passengers were already suffering long delays due to the EU border checks.
The airline said airports which were particularly struggling with EES were Spain’s Tenerife South, Palma, Alicante and Malaga, Milan Bergamo in Italy, Krakow in Poland and France’s Paris Beauvais.
These sites were “not ready” to manage the high passenger volumes during the peak summer season because of “insufficient staff, kiosks and system readiness,” Ryanair added.
Popular destinations for British travellers such as Palma de Mallorca and Alicante “have been affected quite greatly,” Andrew Harrison-Chinn, chief marketing officer of travel benefits platform Dragonpass, told The i Paper in June.
Typical “bottleneck” destinations were smaller airports that see a large volume of British or other non-EU travellers, but lack the necessary infrastructure to efficiently channel arrivals through the system, Harrison-Chinn added.
Passengers at larger European airports including Amsterdam, Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Zurich have also been hit with long wait times since the new system was rolled out, particularly during peak travel times such as early mornings and weekends.
Other airports which have been forced to temporarily suspend EES due to travel chaos, or where passengers have missed flights due to hours-long border queues earlier this year, include Lisbon and Milan Linate.
Passengers have been stranded due to their flight leaving without them at other airports including Athens, from where a London Luton-bound flight reportedly left without dozens of passengers in June.
The worries expressed by countries like Greece, which see high levels of travellers from the UK, raise the question of whether airports which struggled to cope with passenger traffic will have gained the capabilities to better handle demand by the time the EES checks resume from 7 September.
