Queues of traffic pile up at the Port of Dover during Easter weekend getaway
French “bloody-mindedness” is to blame for massive delays at the Port of Dover, a former Brexit Party MEP has claimed. And amid reports of Britons being stranded at Calais, Ben Habib pointed the finger of blame squarely at one man: President Emmanuel Macron.
Holidaymakers hoping to dash to France have been warned to expect delays of two hours this Easter getaway weekend, with pictures showing huge numbers of vehicles stacked up at the Port of Dover once again.
Ferry operator DFDS last night urged travellers to “allow 120 minutes to complete border controls and check-in” at the Kent port over the busy bank holiday weekend.
Meanwhile coach passengers in Calais are facing waits of two hours as they seek to return to the UK, with P&O Ferries delaying a sailing from Calais to Dover last night.
Mr Habib told Express.co.uk: “The problems at Dover have absolutely nothing to do with Brexit. Remainers may wish to justify giving up our sovereignty for easier border control, such is their disdain for the United Kingdom, but their shallow argument holds no water.
“Here’s why: Passport checks have always taken place when crossing the Channel. We were never part of the passport free Schengen zone. Brexit made nil difference to need for or manner of passport checks.
The reality is there have always been, on occasion, delays at Dover. Before and after Brexit. That is a result of the occasional rush, such as at Easter, bad weather and inadequate infrastructure.”
Mr Habib added: “No doubt the French have chosen to drag their heels at the border post Brexit. But French bloody mindedness should not be justified by our leaving the EU.
“The checks to which we submit the French have not changed. That’s because we are not, by our nature, vindictive. Macron has made it clear he wants to make our lives difficult at every turn. That’s not Brexit, that’s Macron.
“Sadly, his fastidious border control attitude does not extend to the thousands of illegal migrants he sends us across the Channel. If there’s a problem here, it’s Macron, not Brexit.”
Traffic at the Port of Dover in Kent during the getaway for the Easter weekend this morning (Image: PA)
It comes after chaotic scenes at the port last weekend, when thousands of people were delayed, some reportedly by up to 14 hours.
At one point yesterday there were queues of “approximately 90 minutes” for passport checks by French officials at the port as the Easter rush kicked off amid “high volumes of traffic”, DFDS said.
Delays at Dover have been blamed on French border officials carrying out extra checks and stamping UK passports following Brexit.
Port officials have held an “urgent review” with ferry operators and French authorities in an attempt to avoid a repeat of last weekend’s delays.
Motorists get out of their cars with traffic at a standstill today (Image: PA)
Ferry companies are asking coach operators booked on sailings today – likely to be the busiest day for outbound Easter travel from Dover – to “spread the travel” across the three-day period from Thursday to Saturday.
A general strike in France in a row over pension reforms is also causing disruption. Roughly 400,000 people joined a protest against President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms in Paris on Thursday, the French CGT union reportedly said.
Mr Macron’s bid to raise the national retirement age from 62 to 64 has sparked days of unrest, with reports of police firing tear gas and some protesters starting fires in Paris on Thursday.
Many flights to, from and over France have been grounded due to air traffic controllers joining the walkout.
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Motorists have been told to expect two-hour delays (Image: PA)
Lorries queue for the Port of Dover along the A20 in Kent yesterday (Image: PA)
British Airways scrapped at least 20 flights which would have used French airspace on Thursday, while Eurostar cancelled a train in both directions between London and Paris. Protesters also blocked a road to terminal one of Paris’s Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Flights were unaffected but many passengers were forced to walk to and from the terminal.
Domestically, UK motorists have been warned to expect long delays on popular routes over the coming days. The RAC is predicting that up to 17 million leisure trips by car will take place between Good Friday and Easter Monday.
An estimated two million British holidaymakers are poised to travel overseas during the long weekend, according to travel trade organisation Abta, which reported strong demand for trips to mainland Spain, the Canary and Balearic Islands, the Algarve, Madeira, Cyprus, Croatia, Italy, Greece and southern Turkey.
A long queue snakes along the A20 in Kent yesterday (Image: PA)
Speaking on Monday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman pointed to a “combination of factors” which caused delays last weekend, including poor weather and a high volume of coach journeys.
Asked about the role of Brexit, he pointed out French officials were now “inspecting and stamping every single passport”.
He added: “We recognise there are new processes in place – that’s why authorities were given a long time to prepare for the new checks, including during the transition period, of course,” he added.
“And we are in discussion with our French counterparts about how we can further improve the flow of traffic.”
