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?

Having written the above as if by magic I then spotted this:

"For British travellers, however, there will be an extra kick. Your grievances will then be trivialised by Brexit evangelists. You will be told that these are small sacrifices to make, the gripes of a privileged few in the middle of a cost of living crisis in a country trying to take back control of its own borders and economic fate, that being unable to afford or navigate holidays to our nearest most cheaply accessible neighbours is a “first world” problem."

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/aug/01/uk-border-privilege-low-ranking-passport-brexit-international-travel

Been asked for a 1000 x (never answered) but what have we gained by not being part of the EU?

As for a tiny proportion... 10s of millions of UK citizens travel through Dover every year for their holidays plus the gateway to the richest trading bloc in the world, as pointed out by Thatcher numerous times as she cajoled UK business to take adv of the SM's opportunities. .. all her hard work blown away by the thick.

...and of course, pre brexit, eurosceptics went on endlessly about being in the EU but apparently we are not allowed too.

Anti democratic.

"10s of millions of UK citizens travel through Dover every year for their holidays plus the gateway to the richest trading bloc in the world, as pointed out by Thatcher numerous times as she cajoled UK business to take adv of the SM's opportunities. .."

I'm not sure if numbers through Dover add up to tens of millions per annum but what's gone on at that pinch point (increased time for checks) is potentially reflected at every point of entry into the EU from the UK (i.e. the other ferry ports, the tunnel, airports) so looking at fairly recent figures we're certainly talking about well over ten million per year effected to a greater or lesser degree by this..it won't just be a privileged few and it certainly won't just be holiday makers.

Perhaps not 10s of millions, 13m used Dover in 2018 and 20m used all of the UK 's ports.