UK Port Blames 6-hour Queues on ‘Inadequate’ French Border Staffing

Cars queue at the Port of Dover in Kent, southeast England, on July 22, 2022. (Gareth Fuller/PA Media)

The UK’s Port of Dover has criticised the French authorities for “woefully inadequate” staffing for border control, which has left thousands of holidaymakers stuck in six-hour queues at the border.

The port authorities said they had made meticulous preparations for post-Brexit border checks, and blamed their French counterparts for allocating “insufficient” resources to deal with the expected surge in traveller numbers.

It is one of the busiest periods for foreign travel from the UK as most schools in England and Wales break up for summer this week. But the port has declared a “critical incident” and urged tourists to consider staying away.

Passengers embarking on cross-Channel sailings from Dover must pass through French border checks before they can board a ferry.

The Port of Dover said it had increased French border control booths to handle the effect of Brexit and the pandemic, but the French side had failed to provide enough staff members.

‘Far Short’

In a statement, the UK port said: “Knowing we are now in a new world of post-Brexit and COVID checks, we worked to increase interim French border control booths by 50 percent and have improved traffic systems in order to build in resilience and capacity in time for the summer. The Port of Dover made significant investment and delivered on this.”

The port said it had “shared traffic volumes in granular detail” with the French authorities in order to ensure the expected volume of tourists can be matched by adequate border resources.

But, it said, the French staffing “has been insufficient and has fallen far short of what is required to ensure a smooth first weekend of the peak summer getaway period.”

‘Massive Delays’

The port’s chief executive Doug Bannister said: “We’ve got a critical incident under way.”

He told BBC Radio Kent: “We’ve been badly let down this morning by the French border.”

Natalie Elphicke, Conservative MP for Dover, blamed the “massive delays” on French border officers, who “didn’t turn up for work at the passport controls as needed.”

Delays at Dover are causing tourist and freight traffic to be stuck on gridlocked roads in the area.

Ferry operator P&O Ferries told passengers: “Please be aware that there is heavy traffic at border control in the port of Dover. If you are booked to travel today please allow at least six hours to clear all security checks.”

Passengers are also advised to take additional water and snacks.

PA Media contributed to this report.