UK's Dover port declares 'critical incident' as travelers face hours-long wait

KEY POINTS

• The Port of Dover, Britain's main gateway to Europe, on Friday declared a 'critical incident' over long delays.
• Ferry operators warned passengers travelling to Calais they faced delays of up to four hours at the start of what is typically one of the busiest periods of travel.
• The port, which handles 12 million passengers each year, released a statement in which it blamed French authorities for a failure to properly staff border control posts.

Vehicles queue at the Port of Dover on July 22, 2022 in Dover, England. The Port of Dover declared a “critical incident” today as queues built up due to inadequate staffing at French immigration controls. They said travellers should leave six hours to clear security.

Dan Kitwood | Getty Images

The Port of Dover, Britain's main gateway to Europe, on Friday declared a 'critical incident' over long delays, blaming French authorities for causing a bottleneck as holidaymakers look to start their summer breaks.

Ferry operators warned passengers travelling to Calais they faced delays of up to four hours at the start of what is typically one of the busiest periods of travel as schools break up for their summer holiday.

Port of Dover CEO Doug Bannister has declared the situation a 'critical incident', a spokeswoman told Reuters. They did not specify what that declaration meant in practical terms.

Graham Stuart, Britain's minister of state for Europe, told Sky News that the government had been working with France to clear the backlog.

The port, which handles 12 million passengers each year, released a statement in which it blamed French authorities for a failure to properly staff border control posts based in Dover, calling it "woefully inadequate".

Vehicles queue at the Port of Dover on July 22, 2022 in Dover, England. The Port of Dover declared a “critical incident” today as queues built up due to inadequate staffing at French immigration controls. They said travellers should leave six hours to clear security.

Dan Kitwood | Getty Images

Apologizing to the people who are stuck, Bannister told Sky News: "To be let down in the way that we have is just so frustrating."

He said traffic was now beginning to move, but the backlog would take some time to clear.

The French border police did not respond to a request for comment. The British government said it was not their border police at fault.

"We are doing everything we can ... it is not a border force problem as such, it is the French authorities. All we can do is continue to work with them," Stuart said.

Dover and Calais have what is known as juxtaposed border controls, where French authorities check passports on British soil before departure, and vice versa in France.

"Please arrive prepared for a prolonged wait - carry snacks and additional water with you," P&O ferries, one of the main passenger operators from Dover, said on Twitter.

The operator said its services from Calais were operating smoothly.

Danish ferry operator DFDS also said that all its vessels were in operation despite the delays.