EU Halts Border Checks at English Port Amid Delays
French border authorities suspended enhanced EU entry screening at Dover on Saturday as thousands of holiday travelers faced extended delays during record heat and hours-long queues.
The temporary halt of additional biometric checks came after passengers endured hours-long queues under temperatures reaching 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 Celsius) while attempting to board cross-Channel ferries for a three-day weekend getaway. French officials moved to expedite processing by pausing the collection of supplementary documentation required under new protocols for non-European Union travelers.
The disruption highlighted teething problems with the EU’s recently implemented Entry-Exit System (EES), a biometric screening framework utilizing photographs and fingerprint collection to replace traditional passport stamps. The system, which has been operational for approximately one month, retains the ability to be suspended during peak travel periods.
Saturday’s congestion represented the holiday weekend’s inaugural stress test of the new infrastructure, with approximately 8,000 vehicles booked for Saturday departures from Dover to France. One motorist, Jon Lelliot, described his ordeal to the BBC, stating “It’s taken me six hours to get on my ferry today.”
Doug Bannister, Chief Executive of Dover Port, acknowledged the operational friction. “Despite having assurances from authorities from our government and the French around how this would work, it really was slow processing this morning,” he remarked, adding that frustration was widespread among stakeholders.
Processing times improved substantially following the suspension of enhanced checks later in the day, port officials confirmed.
With information from Breitbart News
