Port of Dover declares critical incident as high levels of traffic caused long delays
No 10 has admitted that “new processes” brought in after Brexit has contributed to several days of travel chaos at the Port of Dover.
It comes as the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) called for “crisis talks” with the Rishi Sunak‘s government, the Kent port and ferry companies to “resolve this mess once and for all”.
The coach operators’ body claimed their vehicles were “unfairly treated” after thousands of passengers were stranded in lengthy queues for up to 24 hours over the weekend.
Mr Sunak’s official spokesman said “a combination of factors” were to blame, including poor weather, the high volume of traffic and the new passport control processes.
Asked about the role of post-Brexit checks, the spokesman acknowledged that French officials are now required to inspect and stamp every passport as passengers leave the UK.
“Obviously we recognize there are new processes in place,” Mr Sunak’s spokesman said on the manual checks.
Earlier Dover officials hit back at claims made by the home secretary that it was “not fair” to blame disruption at the port on Brexit.
A spokesperson for the port said that processing times for each passenger had increased since Britain left the EU and it was a factor behind the disruption.
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Katy CliftonApril 4, 2023, 7:24 a.m.
Voices: How deluded must you be to believe Dover wasn’t about Brexit (now even No10 admits it)
In a crowded field, there is no other figure in public life who lives in a bubble of their own making to the same extent as Suella Braverman, writes Sean O’Grady.
Quite apart from the abject folly and failures of her Rwanda policy, her statements around grooming gangs and her economically illiterate attitude to migration, we find she is also suffering from the Brexit Delusion. No surprise, there.
According to the home secretary, who never seems quite on top of her brief, the massive queues at Dover are nothing at all to do with Brexit:
“No, I don’t think that’s fair to say that this has been an adverse effect of Brexit. We’ve had many years now since leaving the European Union and there’s been, on the whole, very good operations and processes at the border.”
Joe Middleton4 April 2023 06:00
Home secretary denies Dover delays and gridlock traffic will be regular occurrence
Suella Braverman claims Brexit is not to blame for the 14-hour queues at the Port of Dover and insists gridlock traffic will not be a regular occurrence.
The home secretary claimed it was “unfair” to blame the post-Brexit passport checks for the chaos as the port as Easter holidaymakers get stuck in misery at the border with France.
Ms Braverman said in general “things have been operating very smoothly at the border” and she does not think “this is the state of affairs to go forward”.
Home secretary denies Dover delays and gridlock traffic will be regular occurrence
Suella Braverman claims Brexit is not to blame for the 14-hour queues at the Port of Dover and insists gridlock traffic will not be a regular occurrence. The home secretary claimed it was “unfair” to blame the post-Brexit passport checks for the chaos as the port as Easter holidaymakers get stuck in misery at the border with France. Ms Braverman said in general “things have been operating very smoothly at the border” and she does not think “this is the state of affairs to go forward”. Sign up to our newsletters.
Joe MiddletonApril 4, 2023 05:01
Simon Calder warns of ‘big problem’ before renewing travel documents
Simon Calder warns of ‘big problem’ before renewing travel documents
Joe Middleton4 April 2023 04:00
Brexit played role in Dover chaos, No 10 admits after Braverman blames bad weather and Easter
No 10 has admitted that “new processes” brought in after Brexit has contributed to several days of travel chaos at the Port of Dover.
Suella Braverman was accused of being in “complete denial” after she claimed on Sunday it was unfair to say the huge hold-ups at Dover were “an adverse effect of Brexit”.
Despite recurring problems with gridlock in Kent in 2021 and 2022, the home secretary claimed checks were “operating very smoothly at the border” – blaming current woes on bad weather and it being “a very busy time of year”.
Joe Middleton4 April 2023 03:00
Cricketers stuck in 10-hour Dover queue play impromptu match to pass time
Cricketers stuck in a 10-hour queue for the Dover ferry played an impromptu match to while away the wait.
Students from Southampton University Cricket Club started playing at Folkestone services in Kent after their planned trip to Italy was put on hold.
The group set off from their university campus at 6am to board a ferry at 11:15am, but were delayed until 9pm.
The players are staying in Italy for four nights as part of a trip bringing university sports societies from across the UK together.
Cricketers stuck in 10-hour Dover queue play impromptu match to pass time
Cricketers stuck in a 10-hour queue for the Dover ferry played an impromptu match to while away the wait. Students from Southampton University Cricket Club started playing at Folkestone services in Kent after their planned trip to Italy was put on hold. The group set off from their university campus at 6am to board a ferry at 11:15am, but were delayed until 9pm. The players are staying in Italy for four nights as part of a trip bringing university sports societies from across the UK together. Click here to sign up for our newsletters.
Joe Middleton4 April 2023 02:00
Coach firms ‘treated unfairly’ during Dover disruption
Coach operators have claimed their vehicles were “unfairly treated” after thousands of passengers were stranded at the Port of Dover for up to 24 hours over the weekend.
Trade association the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) called for “crisis talks” with the Government, the Kent port and ferry companies to “resolve this mess once and for all”.
Many holidaymakers traveling by coach during the weekend – the start of the Easter holiday period for many schools – were delayed entering the port and being processed.
Joe Middleton4 April 2023 01:00
Why Brexit is to blame for holiday traffic chaos at Dover
Simon Calder, also known as The Man Who Pays His Way, has been writing about travel for The Independent since 1994. In his weekly opinion column, he explores a key travel issue – and what it means for you.
When it’s the start of the Easter holidays and you’re a transport hub and you’re trending on Twitter, you know things are not going well.
While all eyes (well, my four at least) were fixed on Heathrow Terminal 5, where a 10-day strike by security staff began on Friday, the traditional great getaway snarl-up this Easter turned out to be at the Port of Dover.
Thousands of coach passengers endured a miserable wait, many of them through the night. Factors as diverse as stormy weather and the French were blamed for preventing travelers from getting away on much-needed holidays.
“Blame,” though, is the wrong term here. We got what we signed up after a democratic vote to leave the European Union and asking to become “third-country nationals” in the eyes of the EU.
Joe MiddletonApril 3, 2023, 11:59 p.m.
Brexit played role in Dover chaos, No 10 admits after Braverman blames bad weather and Easter
No 10 has admitted that “new processes” brought in after Brexit has contributed to several days of travel chaos at the Port of Dover.
Suella Braverman was accused of being in “complete denial” after she claimed on Sunday it was unfair to say the huge hold-ups at Dover were “an adverse effect of Brexit”.
Despite recurring problems with gridlock in Kent in 2021 and 2022, the home secretary claimed checks were “operating very smoothly at the border” – blaming current woes on bad weather and it being “a very busy time of year”.
Joe MiddletonApril 3, 2023, 11:00 p.m.
Suella Braverman blames bad weather and Easter for Dover tails
Home Secretary Suella Braverman was accused of being in “complete denial” about Brexit after the home secretary claimed on Sunday it was unfair to say the huge hold-ups at Dover were “an adverse effect of Brexit”.
Despite recurring problems with gridlock in Kent in 2021 and 2022, the home secretary claimed checks were “operating very smoothly at the border” – blaming current woes on bad weather and it being “a very busy time of year”.
Joe Middleton3 April 2023 22:00
