https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/dover-officials-reject-home-secretarys-claims-blame-brexit-fall-out-for-gridlock-at-port-1109065247.html
Dover Officials Reject Home Secretary's Claims, Blame Brexit Fall-out for Gridlock at Port
Dover Officials Reject Home Secretary's Claims, Blame Brexit Fall-out for Gridlock at Port
Sputnik International
Port of Dover officials reject the UK Home Secretary's claim, blame Brexit fallout for gridlock at the port.
2023-04-03T10:03+0000
2023-04-03T10:03+0000
2023-05-28T15:26+0000
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As the Port of Dover struggled with massive gridlock throughout the weekend, with some coaches facing six-hour queues to board ferries, officials at the UK's busiest port have rejected claims by Home Secretary Suella Braverman that Brexit was not the reason, according to media reports.Port authorities were enraged on Sunday when Braverman claimed that queues at Dover were "not caused by Brexit", and that things had been "very smooth" at the border since London's split with Brussels.As some passengers waited for around 14 hours, and ferry operators, including P&O Ferries, launched overnight sailings to tackle the backlog, a spokesman for the port emphasized that processing time for each passenger had increased since the UK parted ways with the European Union. "A mix of lengthy immigration processes at the border and sheer volume of traffic" were the reason for the delays, the port officials explained. According to Doug Bannister, the port’s chief executive, although poor weather had been a factor, it was "absolutely true" that queues at the port are a direct consequence of the UK’s divorce from the EU, as now every passport needs to be scanned and stamped.Before 2021, when the UK exited the bloc, officials say there had been an approach when many vehicles hoping to sail from Dover to Calais and Dunkirk were just "waved through" by French officers. Now, post-Brexit passport rules mean it typically takes 20 minutes to process passengers on a 53-seat coach, for example, as each person is required to go through border checks individually.Similar gridlock had gripped the Port of Dover last summer. Rishi Sunak, who had not yet become Prime Minister at the time, commented in July that the French ought to "stop blaming Brexit and start getting the staff required to match demand”. Now, Braverman is similarly inclined to dismiss the issue. When it was pointed out that the backlog coincided with the start of the Easter school holidays, Braverman was asked whether such a situation could be a recurring problem, and she replied: "No, not at all ... I don’t think this is the state of affairs to go forward."As for the government, a spokesman said that it "remains in close contact with ferry operators, the French authorities, and the Kent Resilience Forum, regarding delays at the Port of Dover".Looking ahead, Bannister warned that things could get even more complicated. Starting in late 2023 or 2024, the UK will become subject to the new EU entry-exit system, with facial biometrics and fingerprints required for every visitor to the EU. Average processing time for a car could rise from 90 seconds to 10 minutes, he added.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20220723/uk-families-spend-hours-in-queue-at-dover-port-amid-summer-holiday-chaos---photos-1097719254.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20210101/view-of-uks-port-of-dover-one-day-after-end-of-brexit-transition-period-1081624794.html
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port of dover, uk home secretary, suella braverman, blame post- brexit environment, gridlock at the port, backlog in processing, queues, processing time, lengthy immigration processes, volume of traffic
port of dover, uk home secretary, suella braverman, blame post- brexit environment, gridlock at the port, backlog in processing, queues, processing time, lengthy immigration processes, volume of traffic
Dover Officials Reject Home Secretary's Claims, Blame Brexit Fall-out for Gridlock at Port
10:03 GMT 03.04.2023 (Updated: 15:26 GMT 28.05.2023) Hundreds of passengers faced a third day of travel delays at Britain's busiest port on 2 April, with the Port of Dover declaring a critical incident on Friday as coaches waited in long queues to be processed amid the gridlock.
As the Port of Dover struggled with massive gridlock throughout the weekend, with some coaches facing six-hour queues to board ferries, officials at the UK's busiest port have rejected claims by Home Secretary Suella Braverman that
Brexit was not the reason, according to media reports.
Port authorities were enraged on Sunday when Braverman claimed that queues at Dover were "not caused by Brexit", and that things had been "very smooth" at the border since London's split with Brussels.
As some passengers waited for around 14 hours, and ferry operators, including P&O Ferries, launched overnight sailings to tackle the backlog, a spokesman for the port emphasized that processing time for each passenger had increased since the
UK parted ways with the European Union. "
A mix of lengthy immigration processes at the border and sheer volume of traffic" were the reason for the delays, the port officials explained.
According to Doug Bannister, the port’s chief executive, although poor weather had been a factor, it was "absolutely true" that queues at the port are a direct consequence of the UK’s divorce from the EU, as now every passport needs to be scanned and stamped.
Before 2021, when the UK exited the bloc, officials say there had been an approach when many vehicles hoping to sail from Dover to Calais and Dunkirk were just "waved through" by French officers. Now, post-Brexit passport rules mean it typically takes 20 minutes to process passengers on a 53-seat coach, for example, as each person is required to go through border checks individually.
"In a post-Brexit environment, the transaction times through the borders are going to take longer,” he said.
Similar gridlock had gripped the Port of Dover last summer. Rishi Sunak, who had not yet become Prime Minister at the time, commented in July that the French ought to "stop blaming Brexit and start getting the staff required to match demand”. Now, Braverman is similarly inclined to dismiss the issue.
“I don't think it's fair to say that this is an adverse effect of Brexit. It’s a very busy time of year, and there’s been some bad weather. We’ve had many years now since leaving the EU, and there’s been, on the whole, very good operations and processes at the border,” the Home Secretary said in an interview on 2 April.
When it was pointed out that the backlog coincided with the start of the Easter school holidays, Braverman was asked whether such a situation could be a recurring problem, and she replied: "No, not at all ... I don’t think this is the state of affairs to go forward."
As for the government, a spokesman said that it "remains in close contact with ferry operators, the French authorities, and the Kent Resilience Forum, regarding delays at the Port of Dover".
Looking ahead, Bannister warned that things could get even more complicated. Starting in late 2023 or 2024, the UK will become subject to the new EU entry-exit system, with facial biometrics and fingerprints required for every visitor to the EU. Average processing time for a car could rise from 90 seconds to 10 minutes, he added.
1 January 2021, 08:33 GMT
