Spain holiday warning as Brits face four-hour queues at passport control

BRITS have been left fuming as they face four-hour long queues at passport control in Spain – despite EU tourists zooming through.

Sun-starved holidaymakers touching down in the tourist hotspot have vented their frustrations after experiencing lengthy delays in Majorca, Alicante and Malaga.

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Infuriated travellers claim they are being held up due to extra checks required at passport control thanks to Brexit – with EU visitors “sailing through”.

Pictures shared on social media by fed-up Brits show two separate queues at Malaga airport, with one sealed off with black tape for “all passengers” while another is closed off with green tape labelled for “EU citizens”.

Post-Brexit rules mean Brit holidaymakers can only stay in the Schengen area – a group of 26 countries with freedom of movement – for 90 out of 180 days.

Tourists must have their passports checked and stamped with the date as they arrive and depart.

But the Irish Mirror reports that EU visitors have been going straight through.

One angry Twitter user complained about the long queues.

They wrote: “Four hours queue in Malaga airport for non-EU passport holders, meanwhile everyone else walking on.

“We had a three-hour wait at Palma airport, with a very tired four year old in tow. ‘Other passports’ no line.”

But EU holidaymakers have been making the most of nipping past queues.

Another Twitter user wrote: “Massive queues for non-EU passport control at Malaga Airport yesterday morning.

“In less than a minute we Irish passport holders were waved through with a smile. If looks could kill!”

A second commented: “Recently arrived in Spain. A woman was complaining about British passports being sent to a long queue, Irish go the other way.

“I politely pointed out that this is our new normal. ‘Oh well. Yes, I suppose so’ she grumbled.”

It comes amid fear Spainish air traffic controllers could heap more misery on UK by striking this summer.

Staff will decide whether to announce industrial action at an assembly at the end of June in Barcelona, sources at air traffic controllers’ union USCA have told Spanish press.

There has not yet been any official announcement from the union, which claims to represent more than 90 per cent of air traffic controllers in Spain.

But national spokesman Susana Romero confirmed overnight the possibility of a strike was on the cards in comments she made to respected Majorcan newspaper Diario de Mallorca.

A Spanish air traffic controllers strike would heap extra pressure on British holidaymakers, who are already struggling with extreme delays and cancellations before even leaving the UK.

The strike centres around USCA complaints about staff levels as the number of travellers returns to pre-Covid 19 pandemic levels.