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With EU checks set to be tougher, British officials are negotiating with French officials to avoid repeated congestion at the Channel’s borders.
Ministers claim the scene of chaos at the port of Dover at the start of the Easter holidays has now been resolved.
But to prevent a similar scenario from repeating in the future, they hope to persuade the French government to ease passport checks, which have become longer since Brexit.
From next year, the EU will introduce electronic permit requirements to enter the block. This will require border officials to collect biometric data from travelers.The former head of border patrol warned that the new plan was a “nightmare” and could “stop” Dover.
The UK government is “discussing with its French counterparts how to further improve traffic flow”, a prime minister’s spokesman said, expecting an “iterative process to reduce the potential for disruption”. added.
A spokesman suggested that French border guards are responsible for slowing down passenger processing as they stamp the passports of all non-EU citizens. He said, “It is the decision of the French authorities how to do it, wet stamping is not on our part.
The ongoing negotiations with France are being led by civil servants, with no direct involvement of the Minister.
Next year, an EU-wide immigration system (EES) will be implemented, requiring Britons to apply for permission to enter the block, pay a small fee and provide biometric data such as fingerprints when crossing the border.
No 10 says:
Port of Dover Chief Executive Officer Doug Bannister has warned that EES will increase the time it takes to check a four-passenger car from the current 90 seconds to 10 minutes.
Tony Smith, former Border Patrol Chief and current president of the International Border Control Technical Association, said this week’s travel woes made it “essential” to implement the EES without causing further congestion. Said it happened
he said I: “If the French do something in Dover and don’t come up with some kind of suggestion on how to get every traveler biometric, what you’re looking at is just handing over passports. , in that window for scanning and stamping, you must present yourself in front of a French officer who will capture your photo and fingerprints.
“With the amount of traffic we see on these ferries on a daily basis, let alone busy times, it’s unbearable to think about whether or not they’ll do it. Unless something is done, literally. I think it will stop.”
Dover’s Conservative MP Natalie Elfiecke has warned that “action is needed now to prepare for the peak summer holiday season” even before the EES comes into force. Former minister David Frost, who led Brexit negotiations under Boris Johnson, said his ministers should consider paying France to reduce checks on tourists and boost infrastructure.