Greece moves to ease border delays as EU digital entry system creates long queues

Greek interior deputy Konstantinos Goulakas convened a meeting to discuss a package of new measures aimed at speeding up passenger and vehicle checks on EU border crossings. The plan emphasizes strengthening IT systems, deploying temporary technical solutions and coordinating special teams to the borders with Cyprus, Turkey and other EU entry points. Officials noted that the EU biometric data directive has added delays for travelers, while tourist and trade traffic to Greece continues to rise.

At the Bogorodica crossing, kilometer‑long queues of Macedonian motorists have formed after the rollout of the EU Entry/Exit System (EES), which requires electronic registration, photo capture and fingerprinting for third‑country nationals. Greek citizen‑protection minister Mihalis Chrisohoidis said the system will remain in force despite the complaints, attributing part of the problem to outdated Greek border infrastructure. The congestion highlights the practical challenges of the new EU digital border controls and the need for coordinated response measures.

The Greek government is preparing to implement coordinated visits by special teams to the affected crossings and to consider temporary technical upgrades to mitigate the delays.