Queues at Dover again...despite all French staff being there

[cakeorwine]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11058351/What-queues-like-Dover-Holidaymakers-hit-two-hour-queues-warned-weekend-worse.html

How can this be? It was all down to the French not having enough staff apparently. At least that was the excuse last week.

I suppose it could be because it's a busy time of year. Which it is.

And it's going to get worse this weekend.

6 years they had to plan for this. 6 years.

"Due to Britain now being a 'third country', Paris insists travellers must have their passports stamped with dates when entering and leaving the EU's Schengen area, which France is a member of.
This is to ensure Britons don't stay more than 90 days within a 180 day period without a visa, which is required post-Brexit for longer visits.
Border guards have also been ordered to ask British holidaymakers whether they have a return ticket, have enough money for their stay and have booked accommodation.
It means it can take an extra 90 seconds longer to carry out passport checks on Continent-bound cars."

I don't think each passenger is being asked about their journey. But it is taking longer and it's good to see the Mail mention that.

I wonder what excuse is going to be this weekend's one?

‘I feel sorry for everyone who voted in the dark. They are not to blame for this.’

I most certainly don’t feel sorry for them. They were told multiple times, even in the government’s own ‘yellow hammer’ report. They put their fingers in their ears and called it ‘Project Fear’, called remain voters ‘remoaners, rejoiced in yelling ‘we won!’ etc. They were not lied to, they were seduced. They wanted to believe the lies even though it was clear 2+2 could never equal 5.

They said it was a price worth paying. Let them volunteer to pay for it.

This is not the French having some axe to grind. All EU countries are now treating UK nationals on arrival, quite rightly, like arrivals from the US, Australia, and any other non EU national. And the problem really seems to be Dover. No issues at Harwich or Plymouth, none for me in the last week flying into Rom and having the same checks, or into any of the other countries I’ve had my entry checks for in the past few months. The Eurostar is having issues warranting queues but it was ever thus.

I travel a lot with work and it’s obvious it’s all taking a bit longer but airports are really well set up.

What is not well set up is British expectations. If I had a pound for every idiot that I see refuse or be unable to answer basic questions or join the EU queue because they still have a red passport, I wouldn’t have to work again this year.

People voted for slogans and ideologies, they got practical results. What a shock those results weren’t as snappy and rose tinted.

It's also a lot more expensive. People use Dover because it's affordable and better if heading south and east.

Some of the English really do need to get over their victim complex.

Travelled from France to UK by the tunnel on Wednesday. Very quick, , no excessive queues and didn’t see any on the UK side either.

No one is disputing that.

The point is it didn't use to happen, certainly not on the scale we are seeing and the numbers going through Dover are lower than pre pandemic.

So what did the UK do to make this change on the border?

Its all on us, believing a known liar and backing a Putin aim, do brexitiers not realise they have contributed to a weakened europe, something that Putin wanted.

6 years is plenty to build more port facilities and access roads, instead the UK built a lorry park, in my nearest port city of Plymouth, we have built nothing, nothing at all, fortunately those evil French have doubled the number of passport controls in Roscoff.... bastards!

6 years is plenty to build more port facilities and access roads, instead the UK built a lorry park, in my nearest port city of Plymouth, we have built nothing, nothing at all, fortunately those evil French have doubled the number of passport controls in Roscoff.... bastards

6 years is a long time to plan and build

It didn't help that Chris Grayling didn't understand the importance of Dover. You would have thought the MP for Dover might have told him.

French border control have always been officious. Way before Brexit. I remember this going back to the 70s
It's their right to protect their borders as it is ours
The UK need to sort this end out. They leased Manston to hold the lorries before but now it's holding migrants.
The problem is Dover is freight and holiday makers, there are just not the facilities to cope and God help us if there's a major incident in the area even in normal times
All roads where gridlocked last weekend even the country lanes

Wasn't it the then Brexit Minister, Dominic Raab who didn't know the importance of Dover to UK trade?

People vote in these idiots.

I voted Remain and Liberal so no need to get shouty at me.

Point I was making is when you are not in the same ‘zone’, 3 hours to get through immigration and customs is not uncommon. Could be quite possible the infrastructure is upgraded as said upthread and 3 hours be the new normal as checks take time.

I agree ferries are more complex than airports as there are cars queuing. There are a finite number of ferry terminals and seemingly millions who want to use them, compounded by concentration in peak times. There’s gonna be queues and quite a lot of them. Strongly suspect this is the new normal.

French border control have always been officious. Way before Brexit. I remember this going back to the 70s

Until we were then able to travel freely across EU borders. Then there was very little border control.

And you are right - Dover needs a good looking at.

I feel sorry for all those who didn't vote for Brexit but as for the others, this is what they wanted. The information was out there at the time of the vote that this was one of the consequences, it was freely available. If people denounce facts as project fear then that's on them.
I did see some very disgruntled people in the queue for passport checks including one man complaining loudly that this wasn't what he voted leave for.

French border control have always been officious. Way before Brexit. I remember this going back to the 70s

You mean "Doing their job?"

I ve been in Dover and been waved through french border control just on showing our passports when queues have built up.

With the Schengen 90/180 rule, passports have to be examined and days calculated, not just stamped.

People can dress it up as they like but this is down to Brexit.

Anyone who bought the ''this the French's fault'' last week must have been incredibly naive or blinded by the ''little englander'' mentality...

People voted for Brexit, this is the reality of removing freedom of movement: passport controls and delays. Also the UK government failed to plan and invest in making sure were were prepared for this when told by the French how much it would cost to have the right number of staff and check points in place on the UK side.

The French don't have ''an axe to grind'' as someone suggested on this thread they are simply doing their job of checking and stamping the passports of people who are citizen of a country which is no longer part of the EU and therefore need to go through thorough immigration checks.

I think you have to realise the French have an axe to grind - this is a cheap and easy way to punish the Brits for leaving the EU the French really could not care less about Brexit. It's not their problem. It was Brits who voted to end freedom of movement and "take back control" - the queues at Dover are a perfect illustration of that decision in action. The possibility that this might be one effect of Brexit was raised at the time and dismissed by Brexiteers as Project Fear. Now those same people are trying to blame the French. Why can't they just own it?

Yes @AndreaC74, I do, don't try and pick an argument when there isn't one
They can do want they want within the law
Wave you through or check, their border, their discretion
This was happening long before Brexit

Welcome to the Hotel California. You can check out but you can never leave.

Seriously… we were queueing for 6 hours in April. It’s Brexit but if you read the Mail OP they will never tell you that. They’re part of the deceit.

It was only 11.6% who took the opportunity at the 2019 election to try and stop Brexit. The rest approved.

Wait until they all come back and have to declare, and pay duty on, all the French plonk.

Are they still insisting on no animal products? I’ve heard not, but presumably it’s just as illegal as it was back when they were confiscating lorry drivers’ cheese sandwiches?

Lol @ all the ‘it’s the French! They’re punishing us’, listen to yourselves.

we ‘took back control’ of our borders meaning that every other country in Europe had to adjust their entry rules for us. Other countries can do whatever the hell they like, we’re not their responsibility and we didn’t want to be cooperative.

what part of ‘taking back control’ does whining about the French not doing enough come under? This isn’t their mess and they’re under no obligation to do anything.

French border control have always been officious

Except prior to Brexit they just waved you through with a flash of your passport. Now we have elected to become a 'third country' we are now subject to the very rules we helped to draw up when we were a member of the EU. In fairness, if the French really wanted to be difficult they would also be asking for proof of funds, accommodation and return ticket, as per the rules, right now they are doing us a favour.

No they didn't @DillonPanthersTexas it has always been at their discretion

Hmm, queues to get to France in the summer holidays. Can't imagine why!

Yes pre Brexit, they could indeed use their discretion because Schengen 90/180 rule for 3rd country nationals did not apply and neither did they have to stamp passports.

Now they cannot.

You are spreading a falsehood that the french have options... there is no "argument" to pick

Exactly!

This is what people who wanted Brexit voted for

Ok, but now UK nationals are unable to stay in the EU zone for more than 90 days so that discretion is no longer an option. We have to have our passports checked and stamped in and out.

its not an unusual requirement for borders and there were/are options for making the process much, much smoother. We’ve just not paid any attention to them.