Long delays at UK port for travellers headed to France

Passengers going by coach from the UK to France on Saturday, the first day of the Easter holidays, experienced huge delays due to lengthy French border checks, Dover port authorities said.

Long waits for travellers at the port at the start of school holidays have become more frequent since Brexit, which ended free movement from Britain to EU member states.

Ferry firm DFDS said waiting time for coaches to board ferries on Friday evening was around seven hours.

Dover Port on Saturday coaches said were now waiting “several hours but tourist cars are getting through OK”.

“The Port of Dover is deeply frustrated by last night’s and this morning’s situation,” a statement said, adding that freight traffic had not been affected.

Last summer, the UK government blamed France for failing to adequately staff their border posts at Dover port after two days of long delays for all travellers, prompting a swift denial from Paris.

French lawmakers said checks now took longer because Britain has “third-country” status outside the EU, and urged that facilities be improved at Dover.