Truck drivers and travellers seeking to cross from the U.K. into France faced major disruptions and long waiting times for a third day Sunday on the weekend that kicks off the summer holidays for many British families.
Huge lines have formed since Friday at both the Port of Dover for those taking car ferries across the English Channel and in nearby Folkestone on roads leading to the Eurotunnel that goes under the Channel to France.
Since Britain left the European Union in 2020, U.K. travellers face stricter border checks when travelling to the continent. At Dover, they are performed on the English side of the channel by French staff.
The Port of Dover said the checkpoints were “fully manned” on Sunday. Port authorities said as of Sunday morning, 72,000 passengers had been processed over the long weekend.
The port’s chief executive Doug Bannister said it had been an “incredibly challenging” few days and thanked both passengers and the local community for their patience.
U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss had said she had a “good talk” on the travel backlog with her French counterpart Catherine Colonna on Saturday.
