Over 2-hour delays at Port of Dover after EES rollout

Hundreds of families faced hours of gridlock at the Port of Dover on Saturday as the first major holiday period since the implementation of the European Union’s new digital border system caused severe delays for ferry passengers traveling to France.

The Port of Dover reported wait times of over two hours for French border and security checks, with many travelers describing additional waits of up to two hours just to access the port. Traffic was at a standstill on surrounding roads, including the M20 and A2, as thousands of cars attempted to reach the terminal. Saturday was expected to be the port’s busiest day of the year, with more than 8,000 travelers passing through. Between Friday and Sunday, the port anticipated 18,000 cars.

The delays were attributed to the EU’s Entry Exit System (EES), which became fully operational in April. The system replaces passport stamps with digital registration, requiring fingerprints and photographs from travelers from non-EU countries, including the United Kingdom. However, the Port of Dover said the full system was not yet installed for cars, and French border police were manually creating traveler records at the eastern docks. In response to...