New passport scanners for the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) will be installed at Cadiz’s two major ports at a cost of €14million.
Tech firm Inetum España will install the Schengen border control systems at the passenger terminals of Algeciras and Tarifa, as part of the rollout of EES and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS).
The project is being developed by the Autoridad Portuaria Bahía de Algeciras (APBA) and will be implemented in two phases.
Inetum has been awarded the first phase, valued at €3.2 million, which includes the supply of the necessary equipment, its maintenance for three years and training for auxiliary staff who will support the Policia Nacional.
This phase is co-financed by the European Union, covering 75% of the investment and 100% of operating costs through EU border management and visa policy funding.
The second phase, with a budget of €10.8 million, will involve the recruitment of passenger assistance staff who will support police officers over a three-year period.
The APBA is currently finalising the tender process for this service, which will focus on helping travellers use the new EES equipment and managing passenger queues at border control points.
The new controls are expected to come into operation before the summer and will affect non-EU citizens entering or leaving Spain through these ports.
Travellers will be required to provide biometric data as part of the EES, a system designed to modernise the management of the EU’s external borders.
The EES will replace passport stamping for third-country nationals and will digitally record the date, time and place of entry and exit, among other information.
To enable the new checks, automated border control equipment will be installed, including self-service kiosks, automated gates, assisted control posts, verification and registration tablets, CCTV systems, digital signage and dedicated control cabins.
The EU-wide introduction of the EES is being carried out in three stages, covering airports, land borders and maritime borders.
Airport controls have been rolling out their new systems since October last year.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
