Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen correspondent: The US vetoed a UNSC resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, arguing it does not condemn Hamas nor grant "Israel" the right to “self-defense.”
Israeli occupation forces issue a new bombing threat against civilian buildings in the Southern Lebanese towns of Borj Qalaouiye and Chehabiyeh.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: Extending the snapback mechanism deadline will test how independent Europeans truly are from the US.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: Activating the snapback mechanism will nullify the Cairo Agreement, shut the door on cooperation between the IAEA and Tehran, and bar inspections.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: The diplomatic window remains open, but signs of activating the snapback sanctions mechanism on Iran are increasing.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: Although the Cairo Agreement meets an important part of European demands, they have begun speaking of new conditions in recent communications.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: European countries show no independence in their stance toward Iran during the talks.
Israeli occupation forces issued bombing threats to bomb civilian buildings in Southern Lebanon.
Israeli media: Person behind shooting operation at Allenby Crossing is a Jordanian Army soldier.
Israeli media citing Emergency Services: Both wounded in Allenby shooting operation now dead.

Brexit blamed for Dover port logjam

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 23 Jul 2022 23:19
4 Min Read

French authorities reject claims that a gridlock that left thousands waiting to reach Europe via the English Channel port of Dover was caused by understaffing.

  • x
  • Thousands of holidaymakers faced long delays trying to reach Europe via the English Channel port of Dover
    Thousands of holidaymakers faced long delays trying to reach Europe via the English Channel port of Dover (Getty Images)

Unions, port officials, and the French authorities blamed Brexit on Saturday as thousands of holidaymakers faced long delays trying to reach Europe via the English Channel port of Dover.

UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss laid the blame on Paris, insisting that "the French authorities have not put enough people on the border."

But the French rejected claims that the gridlock was caused by understaffing.

Border checks and extra paperwork for freight traffic were reintroduced when Britain left the European Union last year, ending free movement for people and goods in the bloc.

"An aftermath of Brexit"

French lawmaker Pierre-Henri Dumont, whose constituency includes the French Channel port of Calais, called the travel chaos "an aftermath of Brexit."

"We have to run more checks than before," he told BBC television, predicting it would happen again.

Port of Dover chief executive, Doug Bannister, initially blamed a lack of French border agency staff for the logjam, which saw some holidaymakers wait for six hours or longer to catch their ferries.

But he conceded there were now "increased transaction times" post-Brexit, adding that the port was ready to handle the demand at peak periods.

The leader of Kent County Council, Roger Gough, estimated that 3,000 lorries were waiting to get to the port on Saturday morning. Kent Police said motorists should still expect "significant delays".

Lucy Moreton, from the ISU union that represents borders, immigration, and customs staff, considered that the tailbacks were a "reasonably predictable" result of Brexit.

Related News

UK training of Israeli officers sparks outcry over Gaza war complicity

UK bars Israelis from prestigious defense academy over Gaza genocide

  • How did Brexit go?
    How did Brexit go?

Train shuttle services were two hours behind schedule

Passengers have to go through both UK and French border checks at Dover before boarding ferries to northern France.

By 12:45 pm (1145 GMT), the Port of Dover said more than 17,000 passengers had already gone through. 

Port of Dover chief executive, Doug Bannister said that some 8,500 vehicles had left the port on Friday, with about 10,000 expected on Saturday.

Queues for the port snaked through Dover and surrounding roads, stretching kilometers (miles), with lorries backed up at the M20 motorway leading to the town.

A traffic management system was rolled out on the M20 to manage the high volume of lorries backed up toward Dover.

That included closing parts of the motorway to non-freight traffic and diverting cars toward the port and the Eurotunnel by other routes.

Eurotunnel said its train shuttle services for vehicles between nearby Folkestone and Coquelles in northern France were two hours behind schedule.

Traffic jams due to an accident on M20

The prefect of the Hauts-de-France region, Georges-Francois Leclerc, affirmed that France had "done its job" by increasing its border staff in Dover from 120 to 200.

Leclerc blamed the traffic jams on an accident on the M20 on Friday for the late arrival of French border agency staff at their posts in Dover.

But he suggested the port itself had not done enough to handle the increased traffic, which typically jumps from 5,000 to 10,000 vehicles daily during the busy summer.

The prefect told reporters in Lille that all French staff were in position at 9:45 am (0845 GMT) instead of 8:30 am.

"Who would have thought that because the French reinforcements were an hour late that it would derail the whole system?" he added.

Leclerc pointed out that "the world has changed. The UK is now a third country to the EU," which means much more time-consuming checks.

  • Britain
  • Europe
  • Brexit
  • France
  • UK
  • United Kingdom
  • European Union

Most Read

Why is Choose Love using a firm with British and US intelligence connections to run a pro-Palestine musical event? (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Together for Palestine: Troubling questions about the organisers of this huge event

  • Opinion
  • 17 Sep 2025
Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza.

Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza

  • Politics
  • 12 Sep 2025
Lapid: Egypt’s Arab Force plan a 'severe blow' to normalization

Lapid: Egypt’s Arab Force plan a 'severe blow' to normalization

  • Palestine
  • 14 Sep 2025
UKLFI’s latest faux pas, like "Israel’s" recent failed attempt at regime change in Iran, is unambiguously indicative of a flailing entity on the verge of extinction. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

Zionist lawfare operation facing collapse?

  • Opinion
  • 13 Sep 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
A Hezbollah supporter who lost his sight in a pager attack carried out by "Israel" on Sept. 17, 2024, covers his eyes with a red headband inscribed with the name "Hussein" during Ashoura, July 6, 2025 (AP)
Politics

'We Have Recovered': Lebanon marks 1st anniversary of Pager Attack

The Arab neighborhood of El Za'im, on the outskirts of east Occupied Al-Quds in the West Bank, near where Israeli government says housing units will be built as part of the E1 settlement project, Thursday, August 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Palestine

'Israel’s' deliberate policies drive West Bank economy toward collapse

Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Politics

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder resigns over parent company curbing activism

Trump’s approval rating falls to new low in second term: Poll
US & Canada

Trump’s approval rating falls to new low in second term: Poll

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS