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Dover delays – latest news: Brexit is a factor behind queues, port officials say

Dover officials have hit back at claims made by the home secretary that it was “not fair” to blame disruption at the port on Brexit.

A spokesperson for the port said that processing times for each passenger had increased since Britain left the EU and it was a factor behind the disruption.

It comes after Suella Braverman said in general “things have been operating very smoothly at the border” and she does not think “this is the state of affairs to go forward”.

“What I would say is at acute times when there is a lot of pressure crossing the Channel, whether that’s on the tunnel or ferries, then I think that there’s always going to be a backup and I just urge everybody to be a bit patient while the ferry companies work their way through the backlog,” she told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme.

Meanwhile, queues at the entrance to the Port of Dover have cleared after a weekend of disruption, according to one of the ferry companies hit by delays.

Key Points

  • Dover officials dismiss Suella Braverman’s claim that queues ‘not caused by Brexit’

  • Suella Braverman says ‘unfair’ to blame Dover chaos on Brexit

  • Port of Dover queues clear after weekend of disruption

Dover officials dismiss Braverman’s claim that queues ‘not caused by Brexit’

04:30 , Namita Singh

Port of Dover officials have hit back at claims by the home secretary that long queues at the port are not a result of Brexit.

A spokesperson for the port said the processing time for each passenger had increased since Britain left the European Union, and that this was a factor in the disruption.

Suella Braverman had earlier said that Brexit was not to blame for several days of travel chaos at Dover – insisting that traffic gridlock would not be a regular occurrence on the border with France.

Our political correspondent Adam Forrest reports:

Dover officials dismiss Suella Braverman’s claim that queues ‘not caused by Brexit’

‘No longer queues at entrance’

06:00 , Namita Singh

UK’s largest ferry operators P&O Ferries issued a statement notifying that “there are no longer any queues at the entrance to the Port of Dover”.

“We apologise for the wait times experienced this weekend,” it posted on Twitter.

ICYMI: ‘Frustrated’ Dover officials blame ‘lengthy French border processes’ as travellers stranded for over 16 hours

05:30 , Namita Singh

Officials at the Port of Dover say they are “deeply frustrated” about significant traffic delays that have seen thousands of travellers queueing for up to 16 hours as the Easter getaway begins.

A critical incident was declared overnight on Friday, and operators P&O Ferries and DFDS Seaways reported delays to ferry and coach services, citing bad weather and hold-ups at French border control as partly responsible.

In a statement on Saturday, the port blamed the delays on “lengthy French border processes and [the] sheer volume” of people travelling.

More in this report:

Dover officials blame ‘lengthy French border processes’ as travellers stuck for hours

Brexit not to blame for Port of Dover delays, insists Braverman

05:00 , Namita Singh

Home secretary Suella Braverman has rejected suggestions that Brexit could be the cause of delays at the Port of Dover as passengers on the Easter getaway faced long queues.

Extra sailings were run overnight to try and clear the backlog, which has left passengers stuck in traffic for hours, and by Sunday morning the port estimated some travellers would face waits of up to eight hours, depending on the ferry operator.

A port spokesperson said: “The additional sailings have assisted in clearing some of the traffic, although currently both DFDS and P&O have two full lanes of coaches in the port before French border controls, with a processing time of about 4.5 hours.

More in this report:

Brexit not to blame for Port of Dover delays, insists Braverman

Coach passengers finally get in to Port of Dover after huge delays

04:10 , Namita Singh

Coach passengers who have been stuck in queues of up to eight hours in Dover have finally made it in to the port.

Traffic delays began on Friday and passengers hoping to get away for their Easter break on Sunday night will face a few more hours waiting to be processed at border controls and then get on a ferry.

P&O Ferries told coach drivers to head straight to the port to join the buffer zone queues, where advance passenger information (API) will be taken, but said “currently there is a 6+ hour wait to reach the border check points”.

Read the report for the latest statement from Port of Dover about the weekend coach traffic.

Coach passengers finally get in to Port of Dover after huge delays

03:57 , Namita Singh

Good morning. We are back with the blog on disruption at the Port of Dover for Monday, 3 April 2023, providing the latest on the high levels of traffic leading to lengthy delays.

Blog closed

Sunday 2 April 2023 23:51 , Joe Middleton

The blog on disruption at the Port of Dover is closed for the evening, but will be back on Monday.

Dover chaos: Simon Calder explains why Brexit is to blame for massive backlog

Sunday 2 April 2023 23:19 , Joe Middleton

Why is there gridlock at Dover again and will it always be like this?

Sunday 2 April 2023 21:57 , Joe Middleton

As many as 20,000 coach passengers hoping to sail from the UK’s leading port to Calais and Dunkirk this weekend have endured extremely long waits at Dover – in some cases up to 18 hours – before departing by ferry to France.

The delays coincided with the start of the Easter holidays for many schools, which brought a surge of coaches to the Kent port.

The Port of Dover declared a critical incident and says it has been “working round the clock with the ferry operators and border agencies to get coach passengers on their way, with extra sailings being put on overnight to help clear the backlog”.

Our travel correspondent Simon Calder explains why there is disruption at Dover.

Why is there gridlock at Dover again and will it always be like this?

Home secretary denies Dover delays will be regular occurrence

Sunday 2 April 2023 21:12 , Joe Middleton

Travellers describe ‘carnage’ at Dover queues

Sunday 2 April 2023 20:14 , Thomas Kingsley

On Saturday, passenger Rosie Pearson described the travel scenes in Dover as “carnage” as she was stuck for 16 hours with her husband and two teenagers.

Ms Pearson, 50, is an environmental campaigner from Essex and was travelling to Val d'Isere in the French Alps on an overnight bus.

Charity director Maggie Gordon-Walker, of Brighton, said her son's school trip to Italy's Folgarida area had to be cancelled due to health concerns for the tired coach drivers caused by the delays.

Ms Gordon-Walker, who feels the delays have been “exacerbated hugely because of Brexit red tape”, told the PA news agency: “They arrived at Dover around 8pm yesterday (Saturday) and were shunted off to a services near Folkestone.

“They returned to Dover around 2am and stayed in the coach in the queue until 9.20am this morning, when it was decided the trip had to be cancelled on the grounds of health and safety because the coach drivers would have needed a nine-hour rest break upon arrival in France, so the school party would have been travelling for over 48 hours without sleep.”

Coach passengers stuck in disruption finally make it to Dover port

Sunday 2 April 2023 19:31 , Joe Middleton

Coach passengers who have been stuck in queues of up to eight hours in Dover have finally made it in to the port.

Traffic delays began on Friday and passengers hoping to get away for their Easter break on Sunday night will face a few more hours waiting to be processed at border controls and then get on a ferry.

In a statement issued on Sunday evening, the Port of Dover said: “All of this weekend’s coach traffic is now contained in the port ready for processing through immigration controls. Coaches have been processed throughout the day along with tourist cars and freight vehicles.

“The Port of Dover continues to work with the ferry operators and border agencies to get the remaining coach passengers on their way as quickly as possible.

“We continue to offer our sincere apologies for the prolonged delays.”

Dover officials dismiss Suella Braverman’s claim that queues ‘not caused by Brexit’

Sunday 2 April 2023 19:18 , Joe Middleton

Dover officials have hit back at claims by the home secretary that queues at the port are not caused by Brexit.

A spokesperson for the port said that processing times for each passenger had increased since Britain left the EU and it was a factor behind the disruption.

It comes as Suella Braverman said Brexit is not to blame for several days of travel chaos at the Port of Dover – insisting that gridlock would not be a regular occurrence at the border crossing with France.

Adam Forrest has the latest.

Dover officials dismiss Suella Braverman’s claim that queues ‘not caused by Brexit’

Brexit not to blame for Dover chaos, says Suella Braverman – who claims smooth operations since EU exit

Sunday 2 April 2023 18:46 , Joe Middleton

Brexit is not to blame several days of travel chaos at the Port of Dover, home secretary Suella Braverman claimed – insisting that gridlock would not be a regular occurrence at the border crossing with France.

The home secretary claimed it was “unfair” to blame the post-Brexit passport checks for the lengthy queues, as Easter holidaymakers reported waits of 14 hours at the Kent port.

Extra sailings ran overnight from Saturday into Sunday from Dover to Calais to try to clear the huge backlog, partly blamed on bad weather affecting ferry crossings and a higher-than-expected surge in bookings.

Adam Forrest reports.

Brexit not to blame for Dover chaos, says Suella Braverman

Braverman is ‘complete denial’, say Lib Dems

Sunday 2 April 2023 17:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Liberal Democrats’ home affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said Suella Braverman’s denial of Brexit issues show she “is in complete denial about the impact of the Conservative government’s botched deal with Europe on our borders”.

He added: “For Conservative ministers like Braverman, it is always someone else’s fault. Businesses and travellers are being tied up in reams of red tape but ministers are refusing to lift a finger. It shows the Conservative Party is out of touch, out of excuses and should be out of power.”

 (PA)
(PA)

Easter travel chaos: All the rail, road and flight disruption taking place over the holidays

Sunday 2 April 2023 17:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Transport strikes, rail engineering work and traffic congestion are combining to make Easter 2023 a very challenging time to travel.

British Airways has made dozens of flight cancellations due to a walk-out by 1,400 members of the Unite union working in security at Heathrow airport.

French air-traffic controllers – who look after airspace used by tens of thousands of British passengers every day – continue to cause delays and cancellations of European flights. Italian aviation workers will strike on Sunday, causing more disruption.

Our travel correspondent Simon Calder reports:

All the rail, road and flight disruption affecting Easter travel plans

Brexit not to blame for Dover chaos, says Suella Braverman – who claims smooth operations since EU exit

Sunday 2 April 2023 16:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The home secretary claimed it was “unfair” to blame the post-Brexit passport checks for the chaos as the port as Easter holidaymakers get stuck in misery at the border with France.

Extra sailings ran overnight from Dover to Calais to try to clear the huge backlog, partly blamed on bad weather affecting ferry crossings and a higher-than-expected surge in bookings.

Travel experts have also blamed the inspection and stamping of individual passports after Brexit. Dover chief executive Doug Bannister said the post-Brexit checks have made processing “more challenging”.

Asked if she accepted Brexit as a cause of the chaos, Ms Braverman told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “I don’t think it’s fair to say that this is an adverse effect of Brexit.”

The Tory cabinet minister added: “We’ve had many years now since leaving the EU, and there’s been on the whole, very good operations and processes at the border.”

Brexit not to blame for Dover chaos, says Suella Braverman

School trip cancelled due to health concerns for tired coach drivers following excruciating delays

Sunday 2 April 2023 16:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Charity director Maggie Gordon-Walker, of Brighton, said her son’s school trip Italy’s Folgarida area had to be cancelled due to health concerns for the tired coach drivers caused by the delays.

Ms Gordon-Walker, who feels the delays have been “exacerbated hugely because of Brexit red tape”, told the PA news agency: “They arrived at Dover around 8pm yesterday (Saturday) and were shunted off to a services near Folkestone.

“They returned to Dover around 2am and stayed in the coach in the queue until 9.20am this morning, when it was decided the trip had to be cancelled on the grounds of health and safety because the coach drivers would have needed a nine-hour rest break upon arrival in France, so the school party would have been travelling for over 48 hours without sleep.

Ms Gordon-Walker, who had been paying for the trip in instalments, added: “My son is knackered and deflated. I feel sorry for him and angry that this has happened.”

Frustrated parents criticise Dover port Twitter for not being ‘realistic'

Sunday 2 April 2023 15:50 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Frustrated parents on Twitter have hit out at the Port of Dover for not being “realistic” with how long delays will last.

Earlier this afternoon, the port tweeted that border processing is currently taking four hours for coaches.

However, several parents left comments which suggest otherwise.

One person said: “Please be realistic about the time it takes to get the coaches to enter the port in addition to this time when you provide updates. My son has been on a coach since 5pm yesterday and has still not left Dover.”

Another parent said: “The coach my boys are on has just got through border controls - that was 11 hours from entering the port. Please can you be a little more realistic & honest with the waiting times (& do something proactive about it next time!)”

Dover port chaos due to bad planning by government, Lisa Nandy says

Sunday 2 April 2023 14:53 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Shadow levelling up secretary Lisa Nandy said “a range of factors” have caused the delays, but she claimed the Government had not planned for what was going to happen post-Brexit.

She told Sophy Ridge On Sunday that ministers had “known for a very long time that they needed to make sure that there were resources in place to deal with additional paperwork checks”.

She added: “The point is not whether we left the European Union or not. The point was that we left with a Government that made big promises and once again didn’t deliver.

“I really feel for the families that are trying to get away for a Easter break, people who have been caught up in this chaos, people whose livelihoods are threatened.

“It didn’t need to be this way.

“If the Government got a grip, got down to brass tacks and started doing their actual job, all these things could be avoided.”

Update from Port of Dover

Sunday 2 April 2023 14:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Port of Dover has said border processing times are now at around four hours.

Why is there gridlock at Dover again and will it always be like this?

Sunday 2 April 2023 13:56 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

As many as 20,000 coach passengers hoping to sail from the UK’s leading port to Calais and Dunkirk this weekend have endured extremely long waits at Dover – in some cases up to 18 hours – before departing by ferry to France.

The delays coincided with the start of the Easter holidays for many schools, which brought a surge of coaches to the Kent port

The Port of Dover declared a Critical Incident and says it “has been working round the clock with the ferry operators and border agencies to get coach passengers on their way, with extra sailings being put on overnight to help clear the backlog”.

There is no longer any backlog of cars and trucks, but the statement from the port added: “There remain pockets of coaches still waiting to be processed with smaller volumes of coaches expected today.”

Our travel correspondent Simon Calder reports:

Why is there gridlock at Dover again and will it always be like this?

Keir Starmer urges government to ‘get a grip’ on delays at Dover

Sunday 2 April 2023 13:25 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Labour’s Keir Starmer urged the government to “get a grip” on the situation at Dover as coach traffic faced “significant delays” that could last up to 16 hours.

Thousands of travellers were queuing at the port as the Easter getaway begins, after a critical incident was declared overnight on Friday.

Operators P&O Ferries and DFDS Seaways reported delays to ferry and coach services, citing bad weather and hold-ups at French border controls as partly responsible.

Later on Saturday morning, a spokesperson said that queues were easing.

Keir Starmer urges government to ‘get a grip’ on delays at Dover

Why Brexit is to blame for holiday traffic chaos at Dover

Sunday 2 April 2023 12:47 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Simon Calder, also known as The Man Who Pays His Way, explains the reason behind the hours-long queues at Dover this weekend.

When it’s the start of the Easter holidays and you’re a transport hub and you’re trending on Twitter, you know things are not going well.

While all eyes (well, my four at least) were fixed on Heathrow Terminal 5, where a 10-day strike by security staff began on Friday, the traditional great getaway snarl-up this Easter turned out to be at the Port of Dover.

Thousands of coach passengers endured a miserable wait, many of them through the night. Factors as diverse as stormy weather and the French were blamed for preventing travellers from getting away on much-needed holidays.

Why Brexit is to blame for holiday traffic chaos at Dover

Braverman is ‘complete denial’, say Lib Dems

Sunday 2 April 2023 11:50 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Liberal Democrats’ home affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said Suella Braverman’s denial of Brexit issues show she “is in complete denial about the impact of the Conservative government’s botched deal with Europe on our borders”.

He added: “For Conservative ministers like Braverman, it is always someone else’s fault. Businesses and travellers are being tied up in reams of red tape but ministers are refusing to lift a finger. It shows the Conservative Party is out of touch, out of excuses and should be out of power.”

Port of Dover says it has been working ‘round the clock’ to help clear backlog

Sunday 2 April 2023 11:21 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Port of Dover has said it has been working ‘round the clock’ to help clear the hours-long queues that have crippled travel to France this weekend.

In a statement, it said: “The Port of Dover has been working round the clock with the ferry operators and border agencies to get coach passengers on their way, with extra sailings being put on overnight to help clear the backlog.

“Over 300 coaches departed the port on Saturday, with all of the freight backlog cleared and tourist cars processed successfully.There remain pockets of coaches still waiting to be processed with smaller volumes of coaches expected today.

“The Port remains deeply frustrated by the continuing situation caused by a mix of lengthy immigration processes at the border and sheer volume of traffic, particularly on behalf of those who have waited for such a long time.

“Minimal freight is expected today and so the focus remains on ensuring all partners work to get the remaining coaches and other tourist traffic on its way as soon as possible.

“We continue to offer our sincere apologies for the prolonged delays.”

Shadow levelling up secretary says Dover chaos due to government’s lack of planning

Sunday 2 April 2023 10:49 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Shadow levelling up secretary Lisa Nandy said the government had not planned for what was going to happen post-Brexit.

Asked about whether Brexit is a factor in the delays at Dover, she told the Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme on Sky News: “There are clearly a range of factors that have gone into the delays here, and we’ve seen them before, but the government has known for a very long time that they needed to make sure that there were resources in place to deal with additional paperwork checks.

“The point is not whether we left the European Union or not. The point was that we left with a government that made big promises and once again didn’t deliver.

“And I really feel for the families that are trying to get away for a Easter break, people who have been caught up in this chaos, people whose livelihoods are threatened.

“It didn’t need to be this way.

“And if the government got a grip, got down to brass tacks and started doing their actual job, all these things could be avoided.”

Brexit not to blame for Dover chaos, says Suella Braverman – who claims smooth operations since EU exit

Sunday 2 April 2023 10:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Brexit is not to blame for the 14-hour queues at the Port of Dover, Suella Braverman has said – insisting that gridlock will not be a regular occurrence.

The home secretary claimed it was “unfair” to blame the post-Brexit passport checks for the chaos as the port as Easter holidaymakers get stuck in misery at the border with France.

Extra sailings ran overnight from Dover to Calais to try and clear the huge backlog, partly blamed on bad weather affecting ferry crossings and a higher-than-expected surge in bookings.

Our political correspondent Adam Forrest reports:

Brexit not to blame for Dover chaos, says Suella Braverman

Braverman says Dover delays ‘will ease’

Sunday 2 April 2023 09:50 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Suella Braverman has downplayed any fears that delays at Dover could become a regular occurrence.

Asked if it could happen every school holiday, the Home Secretary said: “No, not at all.”

She suggested that in general “things have been operating very smoothly at the border”.

“I don’t think this is the state of affairs to go forward,” she told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme.

“I think we have got a particular combination of factors that have occurred at this point in time.”

“This will ease. I ask everybody to check their journey times carefully, but it is a busy time of year.”

 (Reuters)
(Reuters)

Watch: Not ‘fair’ to blame Dover chaos on Brexit, Suella Braverman says

Sunday 2 April 2023 09:21 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Simon Calder explains why there are delays at Dover

Sunday 2 April 2023 08:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Our travel correspondent Simon Calder has explained why the delays at Dover have proved so long at the start of the Easter break.

Speaking to Sky News, he said: “As we asked them to do, they are required to stamp the passport. And on a coach that needs to be replicated 50 or 60 times.”

Extra ferries fail to clear backlog as port warns of hours-long queues

Sunday 2 April 2023 07:38 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

P&O Ferries said they “put on additional sailings overnight to help clear the backlog of traffic” overnight to help clear the traffic.

However, at 3am on Sunday morning they said the extra ferries did not help clear the backlog as queues lasted around 10 hours.

Just after 7.30am, they said queues were around four to five hours while the port said queues were lasting approximately three to four hours.

They said: “We apologise for the wait times in Dover this morning. The current wait at the entrance to the Port of Dover is approximately 4-5 hours. Once coaches reach our check in desks they will be on the next crossing to Calais.”

ICYMI: Starmer urges government to ‘get a grip’ on delays at Dover

Sunday 2 April 2023 07:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Labour’s Keir Starmer urged the government to “get a grip” on the situation at Dover as coach traffic faced “significant delays” that could last up to 16 hours.

Watch:

Keir Starmer urges government to ‘get a grip’ on delays at Dover

Easter travel chaos: All the rail, road and flight disruption taking place

Sunday 2 April 2023 07:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Transport strikes, rail engineering work and traffic congestion are combining to make Easter 2023 a very challenging time to travel.

How likely is it that your Easter getaway will be impacted by transport issues?

Simon Calder reports:

All the rail, road and flight disruption affecting Easter travel plans

Why Brexit is to blame for holiday traffic chaos at Dover

Sunday 2 April 2023 06:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

“While all eyes (well, my four at least) were fixed on Heathrow Terminal 5, where a 10-day strike by security staff began on Friday, the traditional great getaway snarl-up this Easter turned out to be at the Port of Dover.”

Simon Calder writes:

Why Brexit is to blame for holiday traffic chaos at Dover

Port of Dover warns of 10-hr delays

Sunday 2 April 2023 06:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Port of Dover has warned passengers of 10 hour delays as long queues continue.

“Unfortunately the situation remains the same with regards to the waiting times being experienced by coach passengers. There is approximately a 10 hour wait from the back of the queue to reach check in,” the port said in a statement on Sunday morning.

‘Frustrated’ Dover officials blame ‘lengthy French border processes’

Sunday 2 April 2023 05:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Officials at the Port of Dover say they are “deeply frustrated” about significant traffic delays that have seen thousands of travellers queueing for up to 16 hours as the Easter getaway begins.

A critical incident was declared overnight on Friday, and operators P&O Ferries and DFDS Seaways reported delays to ferry and coach services, citing bad weather and hold-ups at French border control as partly responsible.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain, Andy Gregory report:

Port of Dover declares critical incident as high levels of traffic cause delays

Delays continue at Port of Dover

Sunday 2 April 2023 05:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Officials at the Port of Dover have said that long queues are expected to continue on Sunday.

In a statement on Twitter, the port said: “We apologise for the wait times in Dover for coach passengers this morning. The length of the delay remains the same. Once coaches reach the buffer zone there is approximately a 4-5 hour wait to reach check in.”

Port of Dover travellers face queuing for up to 12-hours as critical incident declared

Sunday 2 April 2023 04:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

The Port of Dover has declared a critical incident as coach traffic faces “significant delays due to lengthy French border processes and sheer volume” of traffic.

Watch:

Port of Dover travellers face queuing up to 12-hours as critical incident declared

P&O Ferries issues fresh apology for delays

Sunday 2 April 2023 02:00 , Eleanor Noyce

“We apologise again for the wait times experienced by coaches in Dover this weekend. The current time at the cruise terminal is approximately 4-5 hours”, P&O Ferries tweeted on Saturday evening.

“Once coaches reach the buffer zone there will be another 4-5 hour wait before they reach check in.”

Port of Dover travellers face queuing for up to 12-hours as critical incident declared

Sunday 2 April 2023 00:45 , Eleanor Noyce

In case you missed it...

The Port of Dover has declared a critical incident as coach traffic faces “significant delays due to lengthy French border processes and sheer volume” of traffic.

Footage captures lengthy queues of traffic resulting in travellers waiting for up to 12 hours as their Easter getaways begin.

A critical incident was declared overnight on Friday and operators P&O Ferries and DFDS Seaways reported delays to ferry and coach services, citing bad weather and hold-ups at French border controls as partly responsible.

Officials at the Port of Dover say they are “deeply frustrated” about the significant traffic delays.

Watch:

Port of Dover travellers face queuing up to 12-hours as critical incident declared

Why Brexit is to blame for holiday traffic chaos at Dover

Saturday 1 April 2023 23:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Simon Calder, also known as The Man Who Pays His Way, has been writing about travel for The Independent since 1994. In his weekly opinion column, he explores a key travel issue – and what it means for you.

When it’s the start of the Easter holidays and you’re a transport hub and you’re trending on Twitter, you know things are not going well.

While all eyes (well, my four at least) were fixed on Heathrow Terminal 5, where a 10-day strike by security staff began on Friday, the traditional great getaway snarl-up this Easter turned out to be at the Port of Dover.

Thousands of coach passengers endured a miserable wait, many of them through the night. Factors as diverse as stormy weather and the French were blamed for preventing travellers from getting away on much-needed holidays.

“Blame,” though, is the wrong term here. We got what we signed up after a democratic vote to leave the European Union and asking to become “third-country nationals” in the eyes of the EU.

Read more:

Why Brexit is to blame for holiday traffic chaos at Dover

Extra night sailings to try and clear Port of Dover traffic backlog

Saturday 1 April 2023 22:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Extra sailings are to run overnight at the Port of Dover to try and clear the backlog which has left passengers stuck in Easter traffic for hours.

A spokesman for the port, which has declared a critical incident, said it was hoping to clear the backlog by lunchtime on Sunday as some travellers said they had been held up for 14 hours.

The port has said the delays were “due to lengthy French border processes and sheer volume”.

P&O Ferries updated passengers on the delays on Saturday evening in a tweet stating: “We apologise for the wait times for coaches this weekend.

“We have put on additional sailings overnight to help clear the backlog of traffic. Once coaches reach our check in desks they will be on the next crossing to Calais.”

The firm had also stated that coaches at the Cruise terminal were still facing a wait time of up to 3.5 hours before they can proceed to the Port of Dover.

It added: “Once they are in the buffer zone at the entrance to the port the wait is approximately another 3-4 hours. We apologise for delays.”

Watch: Keir Starmer urges government to 'get a grip' on delays at Dover

Saturday 1 April 2023 22:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Sir Keir Starmer urged the Government to “get a grip” of the situation at Dover.

“I really feel for people trying to get through Dover. There will have been families who have booked holidays and now they are frustrated yet again and I think the nature of the frustration will be ‘not again’.

“This is not the first time there have been problems at Dover.

“The Government needs to get a grip of this.

“You can’t have every summer holiday, every Easter holiday, the same old problem.

“And so the Government needs to get a grip on this and actually help people out in who are just trying to get away for a few days holiday.”

Watch:

Man stuck in Port of Dover traffic for over 14 hours is ‘shellshocked’ by the wait

Saturday 1 April 2023 21:15 , Eleanor Noyce

A man part of a group of 19 adults and 14 children who have been stuck in Port of Dover traffic for over 14 hours has described being “shellshocked” by the wait.

Dafydd Francis, a PE teacher from Seven Sisters, Neath, is one of 33 people travelling from South Wales to Saalbach-Hinterglemm in Austria.

They arrived at the port at 11pm on Friday night and still await boarding on Saturday lunchtime.

“(I’ve) never seen anything like this,” Mr Francis, 49, told the PA news agency.

“We will arrive at the resort 14 hours late if we are lucky... I have organised various trips since 1998 for school and family and friends, approximately 50 trips. We will fly next time.

“We all feel angry but shellshocked at the situation.”

Pictured: Dover ferry passengers face up to 12-hour delays

Saturday 1 April 2023 20:31 , Eleanor Noyce

The Port of Dover has declared a critical incident as high levels of traffic caused coach passengers to experience lengthy delays.

It comes as operators P&O Ferries and DFDS Seaways also reported delays to ferry and coach services, citing bad weather and hold-ups at French border controls as partly responsible for waits and queues.

 (PA)
(PA)
 (EPA)
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(EPA)
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(EPA)

Passenger stuck at Port of Dover for 16 hours describes situation as ‘carnage’

Saturday 1 April 2023 19:30 , Eleanor Noyce

A woman who was stuck at the Port of Dover for 16 hours from Friday to Saturday has described the situation as “carnage”.

Rosie Pearson, 50, is an environmental campaigner from Essex and is travelling to Val d’Isere in the French Alps with her family on an overnight bus.

It was due to arrive at 2.15pm on Saturday, but Ms Pearson, her husband and two teenagers will now not make it until 6am on Sunday due to delays in Dover.

“The whole thing was a shambles... Not a single bit of communication,” Ms Pearson told the PA news agency.

“It was carnage... The worst thing was that no-one told us anything for the whole 16 hours, literally nothing.

“(We are) very tired but people are resigned now and relieved to be en route... Shocking that something this chaotic can happen. My children’s school has a ski trip this week (they are not on it, with us instead) and their bus was turned away last night - they had to sleep at a service station and come back this morning.”

UK Government in ‘close contact’ with ferry operators and French authorities

Saturday 1 April 2023 18:45 , Eleanor Noyce

A Government spokesperson confirmed on Saturday afternoon: “The UK Government remains in close contact with ferry operators, the French authorities, and the Kent Resilience Forum, regarding delays at the Port of Dover.

“The port has advised that it remains busy, but the situation has improved significantly since yesterday, with coaches being processed at a much quicker rate.

“We recommend passengers check the latest advice from their operators before travelling.”

Dover ferry passengers warned of severe delays as travellers stranded for over 12 hours

Saturday 1 April 2023 17:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Officials at the Port of Dover say they are “deeply frustrated” about significant traffic delays that have seen thousands of travellers queuing for up to 12 hours as the Easter getaway begins.

A critical incident was declared overnight on Friday and operators P&O Ferries and DFDS Seaways reported delays to ferry and coach services, citing bad weather and hold-ups at French border controls as partly responsible.

In a statement on Saturday, the port blamed the delays on “lengthy French border processes and sheer volume” of people travelling.

Dover ferry passengers warned of severe delays as travellers stranded for 12 hours

Traffic update from Port of Dover

Saturday 1 April 2023 16:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Port of Dover said that processing times are improving and they are now at around 60 minutes.

Why Brexit is to blame for holiday traffic chaos at Dover

Saturday 1 April 2023 16:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Our travel correspondent Simon Calder explains the reasons behind the Dover delays today:

When it’s the start of the Easter holidays and you’re a transport hub and you’re trending on Twitter, you know things are not going well.

While all eyes (well, my four at least) were fixed on Heathrow Terminal 5, where a 10-day strike by security staff began on Friday, the traditional great getaway snarl-up this Easter turned out to be at the Port of Dover.

Thousands of coach passengers endured a miserable wait, many of them through the night. Factors as diverse as stormy weather and the French were blamed for preventing travellers from getting away on much-needed holidays.

Why Brexit is to blame for holiday traffic chaos at Dover

Traveller stuck at Dover for 16 hours says situation is ‘carnage'

Saturday 1 April 2023 15:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A woman who was stuck at the Port of Dover for 16 hours from Friday to Saturday has described the situation as “carnage”.

Rosie Pearson, 50, is an environmental campaigner from Essex and is travelling to Val d’Isere in the French Alps with her family on an overnight bus.

It was due to arrive at 2.15pm on Saturday, but Ms Pearson, her husband and two teenagers will now not make it until 6am on Sunday due to delays in Dover.

“The whole thing was a shambles... Not a single bit of communication,” Ms Pearson said.

“It was carnage... The worst thing was that no-one told us anything for the whole 16 hours, literally nothing.

“(We are) very tired but people are resigned now and relieved to be en route... Shocking that something this chaotic can happen. My children’s school has a ski trip this week (they are not on it, with us instead) and their bus was turned away last night - they had to sleep at a service station and come back this morning.”

UK government ‘in close contact’ with ferry operators and French authorities

Saturday 1 April 2023 15:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Commenting on the delays, a government spokesperson said: “The UK government remains in close contact with ferry operators, the French authorities, and the Kent Resilience Forum, regarding delays at the Port of Dover.

“The port has advised that it remains busy, but the situation has improved significantly since yesterday, with coaches being processed at a much quicker rate.

“We recommend passengers check the latest advice from their operators before travelling.”

Lorries are queueing on the A20 to get to the Port of Dover (Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)
Lorries are queueing on the A20 to get to the Port of Dover (Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)

Dover port ‘deeply frustrated’ with 12-hour delays

Saturday 1 April 2023 14:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Port of Dover said on Saturday morning it was “deeply frustrated” that coach traffic was suffering “significant delays”.

It said in a statement: “The Port of Dover is deeply frustrated by last night’s and this morning’s situation and particularly so on behalf of all the ferry operators’ coach passengers who have had to endure such a long wait at the port. Whilst freight and car traffic was processed steadily regardless of the additional challenging weather conditions and high seasonal volumes, coach traffic suffered significant delays due to lengthy French border processes and sheer volume.

“Despite considerable pre-planning with our ferry operators, border agency partners and the Kent Resilience Forum and the success of similar plans for processing substantial numbers of coaches during the most recent half term period, the additional coach bookings taken by ferry operators for Easter, has impacted operations for the port.

“Through the ferry operators and the port, food and drink has been provided to those coach passengers caught up in the border queues. We offer our sincere apologies for the prolonged delays that people have endured and continue to work with all of our partners to get all passengers on their way as quickly as possible.”

Update from DFDS:

Saturday 1 April 2023 14:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

DFDS has posted an updated on their Twitter with traffic information:

Simon Calder explains why there are long queues at Dover

Saturday 1 April 2023 13:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Our travel correspondent Simon Calder told BBC Breakfast about some of the reasons behind the long delays at Dover this morning.

Watch the full clip here:

Staff ‘lamenting lack of French border staff’, says delayed traveller

Saturday 1 April 2023 13:16 , Andy Gregory

Simon Lyons, who has been stuck on a coach waiting to travel to Amsterdam with his son’s football team, said they had been told they were 48th in the queue to board the ferry – but still faced up to eight hours of waiting to reach France.

“The current ferries aren’t departing though because there’s so much traffic in the area they can’t get people into the terminal itself,” he told Sky News. “The staff here are being very friendly and helpful, but what they’re telling us is that there is a real lack of French border staff trying to get people checked and into the terminal.”

However, staff were “entirely” blaming Brexit, he added, given that coaches can no longer merely be “waved on” to the ferry.

There is “no movement whatsoever” on the roads around the port, with traffic “just back to back”, Mr Lyons said, calling the situation “a real disaster”.

Travellers take to Twitter to complain about long Dover queues

Saturday 1 April 2023 12:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Travellers also aired their frustrations on Twitter, saying the delays had put a damper on the start of the Easter break.

One person said she has been stuck in a queue for 18 hours and counting, while another criticised P&O Ferries for a lack of support.

Delays improving with processing time between one to two hours

Saturday 1 April 2023 12:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Port of Dover twitter account has posted an update, saying the times are now improving and delays are between 60-120 minutes.

Why Brexit is to blame for holiday traffic chaos at Dover

Saturday 1 April 2023 11:44 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Simon Calder, also known as The Man Who Pays His Way, has been writing about travel for The Independent since 1994. In his weekly opinion column, he explores a key travel issue – and what it means for you.

When it’s the start of the Easter holidays and you’re a transport hub and you’re trending on Twitter, you know things are not going well.

While all eyes (well, my four at least) were fixed on Heathrow Terminal 5, where a 10-day strike by security staff began on Friday, the traditional great getaway snarl-up this Easter turned out to be at the Port of Dover.

Thousands of coach passengers endured a miserable wait, many of them through the night. Factors as diverse as stormy weather and the French were blamed for preventing travellers from getting away on much-needed holidays.

Why Brexit is to blame for holiday traffic chaos at Dover

Long queues are because ‘every British passport inspected and stamped'

Saturday 1 April 2023 11:35 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Here is what our travel correspondent Simon Calder has to say on the 12-hour-long traffic at Dover this morning.

Simon Calder says Dover delays are ‘consequence of Brexit'

Saturday 1 April 2023 11:31 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Our travel correspondent Simon Calder has said Brexit is to blame for the coach delays at Dover and says it’s going to get “worse”.

Watch the full clip of his interview with LBC:

Starmer urges government to ‘get a grip’ on Dover delays

Saturday 1 April 2023 11:22 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Sir Keir Starmer urged the Government to “get a grip” of the situation at Dover.

“I really feel for people trying to get through Dover. There will have been families who have booked holidays and now they are frustrated yet again and I think the nature of the frustration will be ‘not again’.

“This is not the first time there have been problems at Dover.

“The Government needs to get a grip of this.

“You can’t have every summer holiday, every Easter holiday, the same old problem.

“And so the Government needs to get a grip on this and actually help people out in who are just trying to get away for a few days holiday.”

Traffic at the Port of Dover in Kent as the Easter getaway begins (Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Wire)
Traffic at the Port of Dover in Kent as the Easter getaway begins (Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Wire)

Dover ferry passengers warned of severe delays as travellers stranded for over 12 hours

Saturday 1 April 2023 11:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Officials at the Port of Dover say they are “deeply frustrated” about significant traffic delays that have seen travellers queuing for up to 12 hours as the Easter getaway begins.

A critical incident was declared overnight on Friday and operators P&O Ferries and DFDS Seaways reported delays to ferry and coach services, citing bad weather and hold-ups at French border controls as partly responsible.

In a statement on Saturday morning, the port blamed the delays on “lengthy French border processes and sheer volume” of people travelling.

Dover ferry passengers warned of severe delays as travellers stranded for 12 hours

Welcome

Saturday 1 April 2023 11:16 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

... to our live blog where we keep you updated with the latest from the Port of Dover traffic delays. Stay tuned!