Brussels, Belgium: From Sunday, non-EU travellers entering Europe's Schengen open-borders zone will be photographed and fingerprinted at border crossings, as the European Union rolls out its much-delayed automated border checks.

The aim of the new system is to eventually replace the manual stamp on passports and secure better information-sharing between the bloc's 27 states.

The border-check system will allow authorities to know when people entered and exited a country, with the goal of better detecting anyone overstaying and people refused entry.

Hotly debated for nearly a decade, the system has raised concerns among transport providers and passengers, who fear it could lead to longer queues at airports and train stations.

To limit disruptions, there will be a phased rollout. The first phase begins on Sunday.

Non-EU nationals arriving for short stays in EU countries -- except Cyprus and Ireland -- will be asked for their passport number, to provide fingerprints and have their photo taken at automated kiosks.

The same requirements will apply in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway -- members of the European Economic Area including the EU -- and Switzerland.

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