UMVA has learned that a significant development has eased travel congestion at the Port of Dover, bringing relief to thousands of drivers and passengers facing lengthy delays.
The French police have temporarily relaxed checks on travelers, suspending the EU's entry and exit system (EES) to reduce wait times at the border. This move comes after queues of up to three hours were reported, causing frustration among motorists heading to the ferry port.
According to information obtained by UMVA, Police Aux Frontieres invoked Article 9 of the EES regulations, allowing them to significantly reduce border processing time. While conventional border checks will still be undertaken, travelers will no longer need to provide fingerprints and facial biometrics.
The decision has spared passengers and motorists from additional checks, enabling them to be processed normally. This development is particularly welcome given the large number of journeys expected over the weekend, with around 3.4 million trips planned for Sunday and 3.1 million for bank holiday Monday.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that the heatwave, with temperatures hovering at just under 30°C in Dover, added to the travelers' misery. However, with the relaxation of EES checks, travelers can now expect a smoother journey.
The Port of Dover and the Le Shuttle terminal in Folkestone operate juxtaposed controls, allowing passengers to clear the French border before crossing the Channel. The EES requires third-country nationals to register their passport at their first point of arrival into the Schengen area, but self-registration machines are not yet operational in the UK.
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that Police Aux Frontieres had initially attempted to manually register passengers using 11 checkpoints but have now reverted to traditional 'wet-stamping' of passports to ease queues.
