Passengers travelling to the UK from Calais are facing long delays due to a four-day strike by Border Force staff. Ferry operator P&O has warned passengers to come prepared with snacks and entertainment, as the wait times could exceed six hours. The BBC understands that the queues have been exacerbated by the high volume of coaches returning from half-term trips.
Surrey teachers and students returning from a ski trip in Austria experienced a wait of six and a half hours to board the ferry back to the UK. A Twitter account for the school ski trip tweeted that the journey was “what can only be described as a nightmare of UK passport control”. P&O Ferries has informed customers that the long wait times are due to the queues at border control, who are also on strike.
The Home Office has denied that the strikes are having an impact on wait times, claiming that all booths are open and there are no significant wait times. A spokesperson said: “Border Force and port operators are working hard to ensure all travellers have a safe and secure journey, however we have been clear those entering the UK should expect disruption during strike action”. They have urged travellers to keep up-to-date with the latest advice from operators to check how the strike action will affect their journey.
The Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) is responsible for the strike, with general secretary Mark Serwotka claiming that “ministers say their priority is security – it obviously isn’t”. He argued that if ministers were serious about security, they would resolve the dispute by putting money on the table to ensure fully-trained, experienced professionals are guarding our borders.
The delays at the border have caused frustration for many travellers, with one Twitter user reporting that they had been waiting for four hours already and expected another six to eight hours of queues ahead. It is clear that the strike action is causing disruption for those travelling to and from the UK, and it remains to be seen how long it will take for the situation to return to normal.