French authorities have temporarily suspended additional EU border checks at the Port of Dover as holidaymakers faced hours-long queues on Saturday, May 23, at the start of a hot bank holiday weekend. The port announced the suspension of the new entry/exit system (EES) checks in a bid to ease congestion, and said anyone who missed their ferry due to the queues could travel on the next available slot free of charge.
The EES, which involves fingerprinting and photographing travellers from third-party countries such as the UK, was introduced for entry into the Schengen Area. More than 8,000 travellers were expected at the port on Saturday, following similar disruption on Friday, May 22.
The queues coincided with forecasts of record-breaking temperatures across the UK. The Met Office predicted that highs of 30°C in southern England on Saturday could surpass the current May records of 32.8°C for the UK and England, and 30.6°C for Wales. The UK Health Security Agency issued amber heat health alerts for several regions, warning of a potential rise in deaths among vulnerable groups.
