Long delays for ferry passengers coming into Dover after Christmas after staff sickness in France

27 December 2023, 20:52

Ferry passengers travelling into Dover from France have faced long delays that have been blamed on staff sickness on the French side.

People arriving in the Kent port on Wednesday have been forced to wait for as long as three hours to get through checks in France.

Queues sped up later in the day and were down to two hours by early afternoon, according to the Port of Dover.

People who missed their ferries were put on the next service that had space available.

Passengers who set sail for Dover at the port are processed by French border staff - Police aux Frontières - before getting on board ferries.

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A spokesperson for the Port of Dover said: "The additional processing time today is a result of staff sickness within Police aux Frontières.

"All teams are working hard to get everyone on their way as quickly as possible.

“We advise passengers to check with their chosen ferry operator for travel updates."

Waiting times for ferries have increased in recent years due to increased checks at the border since the UK left the European Union.

Passengers were forced to wait for as long as six hours last Friday because of unexpected Eurotunnel strike action causing disruption.

Wednesday's ferry disruption comes alongside chaos elsewhere on Britain's travel network sparked by strong winds, heavy rain and snow in Storm Gerrit.