Editing Eurostar (section)

===Controls and security===
{{multiple image
| align             = right
| image1            = Uk paris entry.jpg
| width1            = 150
| alt1              = A UK passport stamp issued in Paris
| caption1          = 
| image2            = France london entry.jpg
| width2            = 150
| alt2              = A Schengen (French) passport stamp issued in London
| caption2          = Entering the UK in Paris (left) and France in London using the Eurostar
}}

{{Main|Juxtaposed controls}}

Because the UK is no longer a member of the [[European Union]] and was never part of the [[Schengen Area]],<ref name="Schengen">{{Cite news |date=15 December 2008 |title=Q&A: Schengen Agreement |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4738063.stm |access-date=26 April 2009 |archive-date=30 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090330212214/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4738063.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> and because the Netherlands, Belgium and France are not part of the [[Common Travel Area]], all cross-channel Eurostar passengers must go through [[border control]]s. Both the British Government and the Schengen governments concerned (Belgium, Netherlands and France) have legal obligations to check the travel documents of those entering and leaving their respective countries.

To allow passengers to walk off the train without arrival checks in most cases, [[juxtaposed controls]] ordinarily take place at the embarkation station.

To comply with UK law,<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 March 2012 |title=The Channel Tunnel (Security) Order 1994 (especially point 13) |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1994/570/contents/made |access-date=7 April 2012 |publisher=Legislation.gov.uk |archive-date=7 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107212057/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1994/570/contents/made |url-status=live }}</ref> there are full security checks similar to those at airports, consisting of bag X-rays and walk-through metal detectors. The recommended check-in time is 90–120{{nbsp}}minutes except for business class where it is 45–60{{nbsp}}minutes; these are much longer than previously because of extra checks in place due to [[Brexit]] and the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Checking in |url=https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/travel-info/your-trip/check-in |website=eurostar.com |access-date=13 October 2021 |archive-date=12 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211012120241/https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/travel-info/your-trip/check-in |url-status=live }}</ref>

Eurostar passengers travelling within the Schengen area on trains towards London bypass border checks, and enter the pre-allocated cars at the rear of the train, which are reserved for these passengers. This area is then searched at Lille and all passengers removed. This arrangement was set up after numerous people entered the UK without prior authorisation, by buying a ticket from Brussels to Lille or Calais but remaining on the train until London – an issue exacerbated by Belgian police threatening to arrest UK Border Agency staff at Brussels-South if they tried to prevent passengers whom they suspected of attempting to exploit this loophole from boarding Eurostar trains.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cox |first=Simon |date=8 December 2011 |title=UK border staff in arrest threat over 'Lille loophole' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16058860 |work=BBC News |access-date=21 June 2018 |archive-date=12 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112012554/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16058860 |url-status=live }}</ref> Travel from Calais or Lille towards Brussels and the Netherlands has no border or security control. On 7 July 2020, a modified agreement was signed in Brussels that includes The Netherlands in the previous agreement. This allows for juxtaposed controls in Amsterdam and Rotterdam like those in Brussels and Paris.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=New Eurostar treaties open up direct travel from Amsterdam to London |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-eurostar-treaties-open-up-direct-travel-from-amsterdam-to-london |date=7 July 2020 |access-date=9 July 2020 |website=GOV.UK |publisher=HM Government |archive-date=8 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200708102035/https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-eurostar-treaties-open-up-direct-travel-from-amsterdam-to-london |url-status=live }}</ref>

When the tripartite agreements were signed, the [[Belgian federal government|Belgian Government]] said that it had serious questions about the compatibility of this agreement with the Schengen Convention and the principle of free movement of people enshrined in various European treaties.<ref>{{in lang|fr}} [http://www.senaat.be/www/?MIval=/publications/viewPub&COLL=S&LEG=1&NR=396&PUID=16778954&LANG=fr Document législatif du Sénat belge n°1-396/1, Déclarations du Gouvernement belge] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213181133/http://www.senaat.be/www/?MIval=/publications/viewPub&COLL=S&LEG=1&NR=396&PUID=16778954&LANG=fr |date=13 February 2009 }}. Belgian Senate. 23 July 1996</ref>

On 30 June 2009, Eurostar raised concerns at the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|UK House of Commons]] Home Affairs Select Committee that it was illegal under French law to collect the information required by the UK government under the [[Border control|e-Borders]] scheme, and the company would be unable to cooperate.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ford |first=Richard |date=30 June 2009 |title=New British £750 million electronic border control plan 'breaks EU law' |work=The Times |location=London |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6610209.ece |access-date=30 June 2009 |archive-date=30 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210130014035/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Williams |first=Chris |date=30 June 2009 |title=Eurostar tunnels through UK border ring of steel |work=[[The Register]] |url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/30/eborders_eurostar |access-date=30 June 2009 |archive-date=4 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090704220419/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/30/eborders_eurostar/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

On the northbound Disneyland and ski trains, the security check and French passport check took place at the origin, while the UK passport check took place at the UK arrival stations. These were the only routes where passengers are not cleared by UK border officials before crossing the Channel.

On the northbound Marseille-London train, there was no facility for security or passport checks at the southern French stations, so passengers left the train at Lille-Europe, taking all their belongings with them, and underwent security and border checks there before rejoining the train which waited at the station for just over an hour.<ref name="dowd-bbc-052015">{{Cite news |last=Dowd |first=Vincent |date=30 May 2015 |title=Direct train to Europe |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-32916197 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150530091011/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-32916197 |archive-date=30 May 2015 |access-date=30 May 2015 |work=BBC News}}</ref>

On several occasions, people have tried to stow away illegally on board the train,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Landesman |first=Peter |date=14 April 2002 |title=The Light at The End of the Chunnel |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/14/magazine/the-light-at-the-end-of-the-chunnel.html?pagewanted=1 |access-date=26 April 2009 |archive-date=30 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210130014056/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/14/magazine/the-light-at-the-end-of-the-chunnel.html?pagewanted=1 |url-status=live }}</ref> sometimes in large groups,<ref>{{Cite news |date=3 August 2001 |title=Police find Eurostar stowaways |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1472136.stm |access-date=26 April 2009 |archive-date=2 October 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021002141050/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1472136.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> trying to enter the UK; border monitoring and security is therefore extremely tight.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Safety and security: Border controls |url= http://www.eurotunnel.com/ukcP3Main/ukcFreight/ukcsafetysecurity/ukpbordercontrols.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125163402/http://www.eurotunnel.com/ukcP3Main/ukcFreight/ukcsafetysecurity/ukpbordercontrols.htm |archive-date=25 November 2010 |access-date=1 September 2009 |publisher=Eurotunnel}}</ref>
Eurostar claims to have good and well-funded security measures.<ref>{{cite press release |url= http://www.eurostar.com/UK/uk/leisure/about_eurostar/press_release/press_archive_2007/Eurostar_boosts_passenger_security.jsp |date=6 June 2007 |title=Eurostar boosts passenger security at Ashford International |publisher=Eurostar |access-date=26 April 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081029110659/http://www.eurostar.com/UK/uk/leisure/about_eurostar/press_release/press_archive_2007/Eurostar_boosts_passenger_security.jsp |archive-date=29 October 2008 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>