Written question asked by Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 22 April 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 24 April 2025. It was answered by Seema Malhotra (Labour) on Wednesday, 30 April 2025 on behalf of the Home Office.

Eurostar: Immigration Controls

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with herFrench counterparts on reducing the time taken to check passports at Paris Gare Du Nord station.

Answer: Border Force work closely with partners to minimise passenger wait times and deploy officers flexibly and when required to meet demand and support passengers. We have introduced ePassport Gates to Paris Gare Du Nord station in two waves, the last being timed to ensure that we had maximum gate coverage within the allotted space provided to us by SNCF prior to the Paris Olympics. Since eGate deployment, we have lowered the age of people able to use eGates and increased the number of nationalities that are also able to use them. We have also installed new front desk technology that is quicker and more robust than its predecessor. We are also prioritising the deployment of new eGates to Paris and other parts of the rail network when they become available which will help streamline increased passenger fluidity during peak times. Border Force enjoys a strong operational relationship with Eurostar which has allowed us to successfully plan and deploy our resources at peak times – evidenced by the successful recent operational deliveries of both the Paris Olympics in the summer of 2024 and the Easter bank holiday period in 2025 that was equally as challenging from a passenger flow perspective.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 46921
Session: 2024-26
Related items: Immigration Controls: France
Thursday, 15 May 2025
Written questions
House of Commons; Eurostar: Immigration Controls
Thursday, 18 December 2025
Written questions
House of Commons
Transferred: Yes
Subjects: Immigration controls Eurostar Paris
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk