The European Union's new digital Entry Exit System (EES) has led to significant delays at passport control points, with reports indicating processing times have nearly tripled for UK travellers.

Rome's Fiumicino airport reported a rise from seven minutes to 20 minutes for British nationals, while Portugal's Faro airport experienced queues exceeding an hour despite efforts to manage congestion.Ryanair warned passengers of extended waits, urging them to allow extra time for journeys.The EES requires non-EU citizens to register fingerprints and photos upon arrival, with automated kiosks and border officers handling the process.However, technical issues and server crashes have caused disruptions, prompting calls for urgent fixes.Airport officials acknowledged the system's complexity but stressed the need for improvements to avoid prolonged delays.Despite some progress in integrating e-gates, challenges remain, particularly during peak travel periods.