Last weekend the port of Dover saw well-publicised delays for both holiday makers and freight traffic. The finger was pointed to both sides of the Channel for causing the delays. French authorities blamed Brexit requirements while Dover Port blamed French Customs for insufficient staff levels.
The Guardian, estimated that almost 142,000 passengers passed through the port over the weekend with each person requiring their passport to be manually stamped. This almost doubled the length of time each passenger spent at passport control from 48 seconds to 90 seconds.
A possible solution to these delays was touted by Conservative leadership candidate Rishi Sunak. As reported in the Evening Standard, Sunak said that he would look to work with UK’s biggest importers to build trade with Dutch and Danish ports. The hope would be that by diversifying the EU ports of entry, the UK can reduce its reliance on Dover Port.
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