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The DUB Passport/Immigration Queue Thread

180567

Would anyone know if anything is being done to solve the issues at Terminal one passport control ? Extremely long queues for passengers arriving in the evenings. An hour or more seems to be the new normal now.

There seems to be a real problem with the number of inbound flights after 10 and not having enough passport control staff to cope with the numbers. For some reason Terminal two is not affected and it never takes more than five minutes to get through there. I see in T1 they are scanning the passport through a scanner machine now so I think that is what is also slowing it all down.

I'm kind of surprised Ryanair haven't been on going bonkers about this as it's really affecting their passengers rather than anyone elses. Any of their evening flights arriving later than 10 are going to be caught up in these massive queues. After being caught up in the long queues a couple of times I'd really think twice before I'd book a T1 evening arriving flight again. Regardless of the price I'd now pay the extra to go Aer Lingus through T2 just to avoid that.

We're not even into the peak summer holiday season so I don't know what it is going to be like come July or august.

I can think of a few ways to improve the system myself - separate the UK \ common travel area arriving passengers like they do at Gatwick where people show their boarding card to confirm they are traveling from the UK. Or loads more of the automatic scanner gates.

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jjbrien

The old Aer Lingus check in area 14 I cant see why this cant be converted to an Immigration hall its not in use and its still there lying empty. But this is the DAA we are talking about

The Veteran

jjbrien wrote: »

The old Aer Lingus check in area 14 I cant see why this cant be converted to an Immigration hall its not in use and its still there lying empty. But this is the DAA we are talking about

It is part of the contingency arrangements for the airport and is not available for general use.

Using it as an immigration hall would have challenges including the fact that it is not that big; and passengers would need to be delivered to and from the area. Significant infrastructure would be needed to bring it in to use which would likely reduce its size further and take longer than the planned extension to the current Hall.

dastardly00

I flew into T2 yesterday morning. There was a DAA member of staff at the automatic passport control. He was very helpful and and kept everything running smoothly.

I had arrived from BRU. What an absolute clusterfcuk at their automatic passport control after security. No airport staff within sight. Massive queues. Very hard for people who aren't too savvy/confident when using the automatic passport controls.

n!ghtmancometh

I had awful trouble at the automatic passport gates last weekend in T1, must have been at them a good 10 minutes (please go back, try again) before two immigration staff who had been playing on their phones in their booths (friend was waiting on other side watching in disbelief) eventually took pity on me and checked me through manually. The machines are cack with no clear instructions on how to insert passport etc. Only saving grace was that it wasn't busy so I wasn't annoying people waiting behind me or anything.

I use the self service US passport machines in T2 frequently, and never had any hassle with them because they give very clear instructions on what to do.

Baller23

n!ghtmancometh wrote: »

I had awful trouble at the automatic passport gates last weekend in T1, must have been at them a good 10 minutes (please go back, try again) before two immigration staff who had been playing on their phones in their booths (friend was waiting on other side watching in disbelief) eventually took pity on me and checked me through manually. The machines are cack with no clear instructions on how to insert passport etc. Only saving grace was that it wasn't busy so I wasn't annoying people waiting behind me or anything.

I use the self service US passport machines in T2 frequently, and never had any hassle with them because they give very clear instructions on what to do.

Actually there are a number of screens before you even enter the automated booths that have all the visual instruction required for a smooth entrance and exit, not to mention the instructions within the actual booth itself, people are far too quick to blame everything else than follow simple instruction, I've seen it time and again in T1 since the introduction of the new egates.

1800_Ladladlad

Just in the door after arriving in T1. I was waiting 40 minutes to get through immigration. Iv been to many countries within the EU using the electronic tolls, and there has never been any issue, even with countries immigration tolls in general. Its simply embarrassing. The infrastructure is not there or has not been set up properly.

munchkin_utd

1800_Ladladlad wrote: »

Just in the door after arriving in T1. I was waiting 40 minutes to get through immigration. Iv been to many countries within the EU using the electronic tolls, and there has never been any issue, even with countries immigration tolls in general. Its simply embarrassing. The infrastructure is not there or has not been set up properly.

flip, I'll be travelling tomorrow early afternoon into T1 also.

Was there just general chaos or was the queue quicker at the machines than the manned kiosks.

or is it to do with this, which shows the STUPIDITY of checking millions of people coming from the UK with whom we have a common travel area (and who can come via northern ireland if they are that fussed to leave the UK and get to Ireland) when the real issue is securing the border of the non-common travel area with the Irish entry into the common travel area.

https://twitter.com/BBCNews/status/897923051555352576

Jamie2k9

munchkin_utd wrote: »

flip, I'll be travelling tomorrow early afternoon into T1 also.

Was there just general chaos or was the queue quicker at the machines than the manned kiosks.

or is it to do with this, which shows the STUPIDITY of checking millions of people coming from the UK with whom we have a common travel area (and who can come via northern ireland if they are that fussed to leave the UK and get to Ireland) when the real issue is securing the border of the non-common travel area with the Irish entry into the common travel area.

https://twitter.com/BBCNews/status/897923051555352576

Embarrassing how they have missed people on fake passports. Just how many hundreds if not thousands have entered Ireland and stayed or headed for UK.

munchkin_utd

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Embarrassing how they have missed people on fake passports. Just how many hundreds if not thousands have entered Ireland and stayed or headed for UK.

the passports were 100% real.

Its just that the person with it wasn't the person on the photo on the passport.

Jamie2k9

munchkin_utd wrote: »

the passports were 100% real.

Its just that the person with it wasn't the person on the photo on the passport.

Even worse failed 2-3 different checks...

LXFlyer

1800_Ladladlad wrote: »

Just in the door after arriving in T1. I was waiting 40 minutes to get through immigration. Iv been to many countries within the EU using the electronic tolls, and there has never been any issue, even with countries immigration tolls in general. Its simply embarrassing. The infrastructure is not there or has not been set up properly.

It all depends upon whether a large number of flights arrive together, some of which may have been delayed, which may have been the case today. If that’s the case and they all arrive together, then the facilities are unlikely to cope anywhere.

LXFlyer

munchkin_utd wrote: »

the passports were 100% real.

Its just that the person with it wasn't the person on the photo on the passport.

That report is from August last year. Isn’t that before the enhanced checks came online in our airports?

Jamie2k9

LXFlyer wrote: »

That report is from August last year. Isn’t that before the enhanced checks came online in our airports?

Given the BBC published it Tuesday would suggest its a very recent investigation. Cant see them publishing something 10 months old.

www.bbc.com/news/amp/uk-england-44336357

LXFlyer

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Given the BBC published it Tuesday would suggest its a very recent investigation. Cant see them publishing something 10 months old.

www.bbc.com/news/amp/uk-england-44336357

I was looking at the tweet quoted above.

This is a totally different link.

munchkin_utd

LXFlyer wrote: »

I was looking at the tweet quoted above.

This is a totally different link.

Sorry, meant the bbc report which is what’s stirring concern at the moment

That older twitter post was top of the list of links when I went to look for a link to the investigation but I was at work and just slapped it in without checking it properly

The Veteran

In regard to detecting false docs or the fraudulent use of a real doc (which are different things) or the use of real docs which were fraudulently obtained; there are more detected now than ever before at Dublin. Also more detected than in the UK when volume differences are taken into account.

The passenger volumes have hugely increased in recent years but the infrastructure hasn’t in T1; the checks have been enhanced but still there are weaknesses in the documents some countries issue; the EU allows Georgians visa free access (joke); schengen exit controls are pathetic; and we are exposed by the CTA as it attracts people destined for the UK.

Ask the UK immigration service what they think of the controls at Dublin Airport - might sound unpopular to say it but the CTA is at fault for a lot of the abuse.

1800_Ladladlad

munchkin_utd wrote: »

flip, I'll be travelling tomorrow early afternoon into T1 also.

Was there just general chaos or was the queue quicker at the machines than the manned kiosks.

or is it to do with this, which shows the STUPIDITY of checking millions of people coming from the UK with whom we have a common travel area (and who can come via northern ireland if they are that fussed to leave the UK and get to Ireland) when the real issue is securing the border of the non-common travel area with the Irish entry into the common travel area.

https://twitter.com/BBCNews/status/897923051555352576

eGates were not even open or functioning. It was the maned Kiosks only. It was a pain in the arse. What made it worse for me was a group of 4 on-front of me wanting their passports stamped so it would look pretty, the officer didnt know where the stamper was, but they did and pointed it out to them :rolleyes:

revenent

What people need to realise is Dublin airport is adding new routes almost every week. The infrastructure is not really being improved and now on-going staff shortages due to promotions seemingly have not been addressed. As such more is being asked of immigration then ever before with less resources,
Less manpower, bad pay,bad conditions when looking at termianl 1 in paticular featuring broken signs,leaking toilets, bad layout and no interview rooms for dealing with passenger's.
Yet for the most part it is not seen by the general public and service is still at a good standard.

n!ghtmancometh

Baller23 wrote: »

Actually there are a number of screens before you even enter the automated booths that have all the visual instruction required for a smooth entrance and exit, not to mention the instructions within the actual booth itself, people are far too quick to blame everything else than follow simple instruction, I've seen it time and again in T1 since the introduction of the new egates.

It's ambiguous as to which way to insert passport, how long to leave it etc with no written instructions and animated/visual guide is not clear at all. Not one member of staff assisting people either. Even Tesco have one person on hand to assist at self service tills ffs. I've used egates in plenty of other countries with no such issues, and regularly use the us immigration machines in T2 without issue. They all show clearly exactly what to do, and have staff monitoring in case of any issues.

But no, it's my fault and system can't be knocked.

EdgeCase

Why isn’t there a separate CTA area in Dublin in particular?

I remember when there were still Cork - Dublin flights, you had to pass through “immigration” at both airports. Delays as security tightened actually probably contributed to the demise of that route as ground transport was cheaper and often at least as quick!

Is there some kind of ideological objection to having a CTA area or something?

cw67irl

EdgeCase wrote: »

Why isn’t there a separate CTA area in Dublin in particular?

I remember when there were still Cork - Dublin flights, you had to pass through “immigration” at both airports. Delays as security tightened actually probably contributed to the demise of that route as ground transport was cheaper and often at least as quick!

Is there some kind of ideological objection to having a CTA area or something?

I would guess that's more of a logistical issue more so than anything else. I cant see any reason as to why not to have it if there was a dedicated space/logistics availanle for it.

Jamie2k9

Current law requires CTA checks for non-nationals (i.e not Irish/British) outside CTA but traveling within it.

EdgeCase

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Current law requires CTA checks for non-nationals (i.e not Irish/British) outside CTA but traveling within it.

Which is impossible, as you can’t tell a British or Irish National without ID...

munchkin_utd

EdgeCase wrote: »

Which is impossible, as you can’t tell a British or Irish National without ID...

but again (in the everlasting merry go round) there are no passport checks on the Irish UK land border, theres no passport checks when you arrive in the UK by air from IRL, theres no passport checks on the IRL-UK sea border

IF theres no passport checks on all those crossing opportunities, then theres also no need for a passport check at Dublin airport for people entering IRL from UK by air.

L1011

If you want CTA discussion open a new thread

trellheim

Thanks !

EdgeCase

I don't really see much difference in queue times in Dublin and Paris CDG for example. It took me 58 mins to get into Paris on my last trip. Part of that was down to us not being in Schengen (probably should start another thread on that too). There was a HUGE line and passports were being swiped and re-swiped.

However, short of avoiding major airports, I don't really see this improving with ever more security and slow checks of passports against databases in some airports like Paris CDG.

You either need to put in more and more passport control infrastructure and staff, and who's going to pay for that? Airline ticket prices are very price sensitive and margins are ever tighter and airports are in competition for passengers.

I have to say though LHR is usually pretty quick and efficient, despite the huge levels of security the UK has deployed. What they're doing there can't exactly be cheap though.

It seems that longer wait times are just becoming something you have to factor into flying. It's unfortunate, but that's the reality of it at busy airports. It's one reason I don't think we'll see any focus on faster long-distance aircraft anytime soon. The airport procedures are so long and drawn out that it renders any time saving in the air pointless.

California Dreamer

Came through T2 today. 3 machines out of 10 open. 1 garda on EU passports.

Dr. Bre

California Dreamer wrote: »

Came through T2 today. 3 machines out of 10 open. 1 garda on EU passports.

Thought the Garda don’t check passports anymore ? Immigration control officers do

The Veteran

Won’t respond on CTA, heeding the Mods post - it was flogged to death on here months ago.

DUB should have one Immigration Hall not the four it currently has, soon to be 5. Plus the notice we get of new services: usually zero. Hainan being the difference. Allowing for scanning documents which started in reality on November 30, 2016; the transaction time per passenger now is at least double what it was before then. The infrastructure and staff numbers were not doubled!

The immigration process is also not just driven by the immigration service checks - the queue set ups; daa staff; the physical set up; etc all have a bearing and that’s before you look at passenger behaviour. Open the passport in the right page; have it out and in your hand; answer questions you’re asked; etc all have impacts.