Thousands of Christmas travellers are facing major delays as IT issues at French border controls have triggered queues of up to an hour at the Port of Dover. The chaos coincides with what the RAC predicts will be the busiest Christmas getaway since records began, with an estimated 37.5 million leisure car trips across the UK between Wednesday and Christmas Eve.
The Port of Dover confirmed the IT problems at French border controls began before Saturday morning's peak traffic and remain ongoing. Nearly 30,000 cars are expected to pass through the port during the festive period, with peak traffic between 6am and 1pm from Friday to Sunday.
Doug Bannister, the port's chief executive, said: «There are still some ongoing (IT) issues, which are causing increased wait times whilst traffic is being processed.» He added: «We are working with our partner agencies whilst they try to resolve these issues.»
P&O Ferries reported large queues on approach roads and in the buffer area, though check-ins remain smooth once passengers get through. The port has urged passengers not to arrive more than two hours before sailing. Ferry operators will place customers who miss scheduled sailings on the next available crossing.
One traveller posted on X: «Horrible experience at Port of Dover this morning. Absolute chaos. Traffic at a standstill for an hour. Worst start to holiday imaginable. Just missed our boat. Still stuck. Kids in car.»
A local Dover resident told the BBC the town was «proper rammed» with traffic. Bus company Stagecoach said it cannot serve Eastern Docks due to heavy congestion.
The Port of Dover asked all port-bound traffic to remain on main roads - the A20 and A2 - to keep local roads clear. A port spokesperson said this was «to allow the Dover community to travel to festive events and finish their Christmas shopping in the town».
European airports hit by new border system
UK travellers are also experiencing widespread disruption at European airports due to the EU's Entry and Exit System (EES), which came into force in October. The system requires non-EU passport holders to submit fingerprints and photographs upon entry to the Schengen area.
Airports Council International (ACI) in Brussels reported that passenger processing times have increased by 70 per cent, with delays of up to three hours at peak periods. The Civil Aviation Authority reported a record three million people flying from UK airports ahead of Christmas, with around 460,000 taking off on the busiest day alone.
Olivier Jankovec, ACI director general, wrote to the European Commission: «The progressive scaling up of the registration and capture of biometric data from third-country nationals entering the Schengen area has resulted in border control processing times at airports increasing by up to 70 per cent, with waiting times of up to three hours at peak traffic periods.»
Geneva Airport has warned passengers of longer waiting times and has reportedly turned off the EES system repeatedly to clear long queues. A travel company executive told The Times: «Geneva has not been functioning and the peak ski season hadn't even started. Four-hour delays are completely unacceptable and it just shows what chaos there is to come next summer when the system will be fully implemented.»
France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Portugal and Spain are especially impacted by the delays. Currently only ten per cent of passengers are complying with the EES system, but this will rise to 35 per cent from January 9 and reach 100 per cent by April.
ACI has called for EU officials to conduct an urgent review of the system and requested the European Commission introduce additional flexibility if problems persist beyond New Year. Jankovec warned of «serious safety hazards» and «systemic disruption» as the system expands.
Back in the UK, RAC's Nick Mullender said: «With record numbers predicted to be taking to the roads this Christmas, journeys have the potential to be Grinch-worthy without some careful planning. The week before Christmas is one of the few times of year when most of the UK hits the road simultaneously, with 2025 looking to be the busiest getaway period since our records began.»
AA expert patrol Shaun Jones advised: «It's beginning to look a lot like traffic. Our advice is simple: plan ahead, check your route and allow extra time. Patience will be your best present this year.»
National Highways committed to «remove as many roadworks as we safely can so everyone can get where they need to go this Christmas».
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
