Jojo Moyes faces EU ban over border system glitches

Writer detained by French guards

Jojo Moyes was detained by French border guards following a holiday because the system claimed she overstayed her visa. Although she was present in the EU for merely 23 days within a six-month span, she encountered a two-year prohibition alongside a €10,000 penalty. The error occurred because her departure from Portugal after a trip in May was not logged on the digital entry and exit system. A senior officer at Marseille warned her not to re-enter Europe until the issue was resolved or she would face severe penalties.

System failures affect many Britons

The EU digital entry and exit system launched last year to replace passport stamps with biometrics has caused widespread recording failures for UK travellers. Some countries suspended the EES over the summer due to technical glitches and staff shortages, forcing a return to manual passport checks. Jane Nolan and her husband discovered the tool wrongly showed them as having used their 90-day allowance despite spending only 40 days in France. Their passports were manually stamped on return to the UK after French authorities suspended the automated system to prevent long queues.

EU sues firms over errors

Monday saw reports that the EU has filed a lawsuit against three companies over ongoing weaknesses in their digital security measures. The problem specifically affects passengers whose biometrics were collected on arrival but not recorded when they left the zone. Rory Boland of Which? Travel described the situation as unacceptable and noted the lack of accountability towards travellers facing deportation or fines. Julia Lo Bue-Said from the Advantage Travel Partnership said British visitors must not face penalties due to breakdowns in a system beyond their control.