French authorities hit back at claims at the port of Dover that French border control officers were to blame for the second day of hours-long delays, saying: “France is not responsible for Brexit.”
This happened after the port blamed insufficient numbers of French border guards for the delays, the Guardian commented.
On Saturday afternoon, French transport minister – and former Europe minister – Clément Bonnet tweeted that French authorities were “mobilised to control our borders and facilitate traffic as much as possible“.
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Bonnet, a close ally of French President Emmanuel Macron, said he had a “constructive” exchange of views with his British counterpart Grant Shapps on the matter.
Regional prefect Georges-Francois Leclerc said at midday that of the 9,000-10,000 vehicles due to travel from Dover to France on Saturday, 60 per cent had made it through without a problem and the afternoon wait had been reduced to around 45 minutes.
Leclerc said it was incorrect to suggest that French border officials were to blame for the delay. “Today the situation is normalized” he said. “The port of Dover, which is a private port, found it easier to blame the French police.”
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Meanwhile, Liz Truss, the foreign secretary and Tory leader candidate, said the problems were due to insufficient resources at the border, not extra checks after Brexit. She said she had been “very clear” with the French authorities that it was “a situation that is caused by the lack of resources at the border“.
The disruption came at a time when most schools in England and Wales are in the summer holidays, ushering in one of the busiest periods for overseas travel.
About 10,000 vehicles are expected to pass through the port on Saturday – 1,500 more than on Friday. It is reported that approx 3,000 trucks are also waiting to cross the English Channel.
The Port of Dover reported 17,215 passengers had passed through and said tourist flows were “normal”. But it advised all passengers to check their ferry operator’s website for updates before setting off.
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French politician Pierre-Henri Dumont, a Republican MP for Calais, blamed the UK’s exit from the EU for the chaos, telling BBC News it was a “consequence of Brexit” and more checks were needed.
Dumont also accused London of “rejecting a few months ago an offer to doubling the number of passport booths” for the French police in Dover.
Under post-Brexit travel rules, British citizens can stay in the Schengen area for no more than 90 days in a 180-day period. Until a fully automated border system is in place, passport stamps are now required at most entry and exit points, significantly increasing processing times.
Britain’s Foreign Office advises travelers to mainland Europe to stamp their passports, noting that if “the appropriate entry or exit stamps are not affixed to your passport, the border officer may assume that you have overstayed your visa-free period”.
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In December 2020, the UK Cabinet Office reportedly rejected a proposal to double the French government’s passport control capacity in Dover worth £33 million, after the port requested funding to help it pay for the extra border costs associated with Brexit.
The funding would have been used to double the number of French border police passport booths in anticipation of stricter requirements – including stamps in passports from January 1, 2021 – recalls the Financial Times.
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