Port of Dover warns half-term travellers to prepare for delays under new EU border system

The Port of Dover has asked ferry passengers to come prepared for delays as the half-term getaway begins.

Queues are not unusual during busy holiday periods, and the port reported waits of 90 minutes at the border on Friday morning.

It is the first holiday period since the EU's new border system, which digitally records biometric information, was fully implemented.

Fingerprints and photos are not yet being taken at Dover and some other crossings to France, but digital profiles of travellers are still being created. That is expected to lengthen processing times.

Since 10 April, the Entry Exit System (EES) was meant to be in operation across all entry points into the Schengen free movement area, which includes popular holiday destinations such as France and Spain.

At Dover, where passengers pass through the French border before boarding a cross-Channel ferry, French authorities have not yet switched on the machines that will take fingerprints and photos under EES.

However, border officials still have to complete part of the process for each tourist. Setting up a profile linked to the new system means it will take a little longer to get through.

The port said that if passengers miss their intended sailing because of delays, they can take the next available departure.

About 18,000 cars are expected at Dover between Friday and Sunday, with Saturday anticipated to be the busiest day. Four hundred coaches are expected on Friday alone.

Lydden Hill racing track will be available as a contingency measure to hold cars if queues become severe, in order to avoid local roads becoming clogged.

Border authorities are allowed to suspend EES altogether if severe delays build up.

The Port of Dover is asking people to only take main roads to keep the town of Dover clear, arrive no more than two hours before their scheduled sailing, have their documents ready to be inspected, take suitable rest breaks before arriving at the port, bring water, snacks and entertainment for children and families, and make sure any dogs are walked and rested before travel.

At the Channel Tunnel operator Eurotunnel's Folkestone terminal, French authorities also have not yet turned on the new machines to take car passengers' biometric details.

The situation is similar to Dover, with border officials in booths creating profiles for tourists, but fingerprints and photos are not yet being taken. Eurotunnel is not warning passengers of delays.

Lorry drivers have been providing biometric information for some time.

Eurostar's hub at London St Pancras station is the other UK location where French border checks are carried out before departure. There, border police have been creating files and, in some cases, taking biometric information, but most passengers have not yet used the automated machines.

Greece has said British passengers will not face biometric checks this summer.

At some airports, passengers have experienced long queues at the border upon arrival in recent months.

In April, about 100 people were left stranded in Milan after a flight to Manchester left without them.

Easyjet boss Kenton Jarvis told the BBC on Thursday that problems caused by the EES were "unacceptable".

He said, "we have seen some reduction in some of the queues".

However, he encouraged European countries to use the flexibility they had to return to manual passport stamping if necessary.

This week, Easyjet and Jet2 tried to reassure customers that they can book with confidence and that the carriers have no fuel supply issues.

A trend has emerged of people booking their holidays late because they are nervous about the impact the Middle East conflict could have on the future availability of jet fuel.