French border police have temporarily suspended additional EU entry-exit checks at the Port of Dover after holidaymakers faced waiting times of more than two hours in soaring temperatures. The EU's Entry-Exit System (EES), which replaces passport stamps with digital registration, became fully operational last month, and Saturday marked the first peak period since its introduction.
The port described the situation as 'challenging' and welcomed the decision by Police Aux Frontières (PAF) to invoke Article 9 of the EES regulations, allowing checks to be temporarily relaxed. 'While conventional border checks will still be undertaken, this will now enable PAF to significantly reduce the border processing time,' the port said in a statement on X.
The UK experienced its hottest day of the year on Saturday, with a temperature of 30.5°C recorded in Kent. Long queues of cars formed at the terminal, which is the departure point for ferries to Calais, a popular route for British tourists during the half-term school holidays. The port advised passengers who missed their ferry to travel on the next available crossing and urged drivers to treat staff with 'kindness and respect'.
EasyJet has called on EU countries, particularly Spain, to drop the new rules over concerns that holidaymakers could face lengthy delays. The airline's chief executive, Kenton Jarvis, said the additional checks would 'put [holidaymakers] off' travelling. The EES is used by EU countries and Schengen area members, excluding Ireland and Cyprus, and has raised concerns among non-EU passengers and transport providers, especially in Britain following Brexit.
The European Commission said the system was designed to make the EU's borders more secure and efficient. Temperatures are forecast to rise further over the bank holiday weekend, with record-breaking May temperatures of up to 33°C expected. The Met Office has issued amber heat health alerts for parts of England, indicating a possible risk to life and potential travel delays.
