Delays at Dover Port Due to EU Rules

Dover's Chief Executive Doug Bannister has raised concerns about the port's ability to manage passenger demand due to stringent new EU regulations set to take effect in November. The introduction of the EU entry-exit system (EES) will require all British travelers to provide biometric data, including fingerprints and facial recognition, before boarding ferries to France. This system is unique to Dover, as it features "juxtaposed" frontier controls, allowing French border officials to process travelers while they are still in the UK. To accommodate the new requirements, the port plans to implement a canopy at the Eastern Docks for non-EU travelers, where agents will collect necessary information. Meanwhile, coach passengers will be processed at the Western Docks. Once cleared, coaches will be sealed and will traverse through Kent as if they are in French territory. Bannister expressed optimism that the new infrastructure would handle expected traffic until Easter but warned that it may not suffice for the anticipated surge next summer. The CEO emphasized the need for a live trial of the new technology to ensure its effectiveness. He noted that while the current setup may manage initial flows, it lacks the capacity for the projected increase in passenger numbers. Additionally, French border officials are also processing travelers at other locations, including London St Pancras and the Eurotunnel terminal in Folkestone. Eurotunnel has invested over £70 million in developing dedicated EES zones, installing 224 kiosks across its terminals in both France and the UK to facilitate the new processing requirements.