Malta at risk of being excluded from the Schengen area Italpress stamp agency

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta is in real danger of being suspended from the Schengen Area due to the failure to implement the new passport control system, known as the Entry/Exit System, EES. The EES is a centralised automated IT system that will record and store the date, time and place of entry and exit of third-country nationals crossing the EU’s external borders. It will cover those requiring short-term visas as well as visa-exempt third-country travellers who arrive for up to 90 days in a 180-day period. The Ministry of Home Affairs has admitted that Malta is racing against time to align its border control system with the new EU rules by October 2024, saying it is in talks with Brussels on potential contingency plans to avoid the risk of suspension from the free movement area.
Meanwhile, Nationalist Party MEP Peter Agius said he had requested an informal meeting with the European Commission, which informed him that there was a “real risk” of Malta being excluded from the Schengen Area because the country still lacked the required electronic fingerprint and passport verification system.
According to the European Commission, the Maltese government is setting up a temporary manual passport control system that will help Malta avoid being suspended from the Schengen area in October. However, the system could be bureaucratic and time-consuming. (ITALPRESS).

Photo: Agency Photogramma