That is a very sensible solution.

Who knows but at most ports they’ve only just installed the new gates which indicates they didn’t feel it was a good idea otherwise it would have perhaps been implemented from day 1.

I am flying out of Malaga to the Uk this morning and there were no queues at all, obviously a quiet time. I just followed the line marked Non EU Manual Cabins and walked straight up to booth (3 were staffed and only 1 attending to someone atthe time). If its the same on the way back that will be great, its the common sense approach and effectively the same as what I said ages ago, that legal residents with non EU Passports should be treated the same as EU passport holders rather than tourists.

Your joy could be short lived.

https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-02-...gestion-fears/

I arrived back at Málaga at 9.30 last night and there were no queues at all either at the EES machines, the egates or the manual booths (I was one of the first passengers off the plane, having been seated near the front). Told the staff member standing by the EES machines that I have a TIE and she told me to use the EU line which led straight to the manual booths, so I was very happy with that. So at Málaga at least, may be different elsewhere, I think the new policy is a vast improvement on what I have experienced during the last five years when residents with TIEs were made to queue with all the tourists (although some travellers reported that they had been allowed to use the EU lane but I was told I could not, with a UK passport) so it is not left to individual staff member's discretion now.

Yes, I have recently 'breezed' both out and back in through Alicante airport, waving my TIE and passport, could not have been easier.

EES system catches 7000 overstayers and refuses entry to others....

https://www.spainenglish.com/2026/05...in-six-months/

I recently crossed by ferry to Hook of Holland from Harwich. On the Dutch side is the immigration and customs. At immigration all the non-EU vehicle queue passengers had to get out and go into their kiosk to do the procedure. I timed it as taking about 4 to 5 minutes per car.
I was about last off and used the EU queue because I can and when I went through I was stopped at the kiosk for about 30 seconds at the most. As I departed there seemed to be still at least two thirds of the non EU queue to go,

Flew into Madrid last night. Non EU line, but on showing my TIE to the young lady directing people, she sent me straight to passport control. So fast that I was through before my Spanish wife, as the passport reading machines were causing problems in the EU line.

I wonder what the numbers in Spain are in regards to British citizens, considering that overstayers weren't previously targeted before the introduction of EES.

Are they being "waved through" manually or are they indeed being sent back?