British holidaymakers faced long delays at the Port of Dover today after an IT failure forced officials to carry out manual passport checks at the border.
The disruption began early Sunday morning, with travellers being warned just after 7am to expect delays of up to 45 minutes at the UK’s busiest international ferry port.
The issue is believed to have originated from the French side, where problems with border processing systems forced checks to be done manually.
The Dover Harbour Board said it was working closely with French officials to resolve the issue and minimise delays for passengers.
A statement on X said: "TrafficUpdate at #PortofDover at 7am. There is currently a 25 minute wait at border control. Passport checks are taking place manually due to an issue with border processing systems across France. Thanks for your patience."
An update later confirmed the situation had worsened, saying: "There is currently a 45 minute delay through French Border Control due to French IT system failure.
"The Port of Dover are working with our French colleagues to process all passengers as quickly as possible."
The disruption comes as National Highways activates Operation Brock, a traffic management scheme designed to ease congestion during peak periods at the Channel ports. The system involves narrow lanes and a 50mph speed limit along a 13-mile stretch of the M20 motorway, between Junctions 8 (Maidstone) and 9 (Ashford).
Lorries heading to Dover or Eurotunnel are being directed into designated lanes at Junction 8, while all other coast-bound traffic is diverted onto a contraflow system on the London-bound carriageway.
Travel is expected to surge over the Easter weekend, with an estimated 19.1 million journeys planned for Good Friday alone.
