AS they fly by British holidaymakers queuing for passport checks, EU travellers have been given 'looks that kill.'
British tourists face long lines when they get to their destination, in addition to dealing with travel difficulties at multiple UK airports. According to social media complaints, some travellers have also had to wait 3 hours in Spain to get past passport control.
Long queues have really been observed at airports in popular vacation destinations such as Majorca, Alicante, and Malaga. This is owing to the increased scrutiny required at passport checkpoints as a result of Brexit.
Holidaymakers from the UK – are only permitted to stay in the Schengen region (a free-travel zone made up of 26 countries, including Spain) for 3 months out of 6 months. On arrival and departure, every passenger's passport must be personally scrutinised and date-stamped by police.
Other EU travellers have flown through arrivals, and according to Irish Mirror, prompting some British citizens to allege "preferential treatment" with such an "EU fast lane."
Travellers have been sending photos from Malaga Airport, where two different passport lines have been set up. One is cordoned off with black tape and marked with a union jack, indicating that it is open to 'all travellers.' The other is marked for 'EU people' and is enclosed by green tape. It features an Irish flag and an EU flag.
On Twitter, one person wrote, "Four-hour queue in Malaga airport awaiting non-EU passport holders, while everyone else walks on." "We had a three-hour delay at Palma airport with a very fatigued 4-year-old in tow," another said. "There is no line for 'other passports.'"
Whilst, some EU passport holders allege they are getting "killer stares" as they "fly-through" while others wait.
"At Malaga Airport yesterday morning, there have been long queues for non-EU passport control." With a smile, we were waved through in less than a minute as Irish passport holders. "If appearances could kill!" one Twitter user wrote on Twitter. "Sailed down the Irish lane at Malaga yesterday," one person wrote. A few of British travellers on my flight tried to track me down. It was a better moment."
"Recently arrived in Spain," someone else wrote. A woman expressed her dissatisfaction with the fact that British passports are directed to a long line while Irish passports are sent in the opposite direction. This is our new normal, I said gently. 'It'll do.' 'I guess so,' she said."
