PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
(15 December 2025)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with (a) UK Border Force, and (b) her counterparts in the French Government on reducing the waiting times for UK-bound passengers at passport control at Paris Gare du Nord.

Asked by:
Sir Julian Smith (Conservative)

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 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 the Paris Olympics in the summer of 2024, and both the Easter bank holiday and summer holiday periods in 2025 that were equally as challenging from a passenger flow perspective.

Answered by:
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