Tourists trying to leave the UK on one of the biggest travel weekends of the year have been gridlocked in southern England and trapped at port border crossings to France.
Thousands of travellers were stuck in hours-long queues and some lorry drivers endured waits of more than 18 hours around Dover, Kent.
Dover is the key port for ferry crossings and schools closed on Friday, triggering the mass departures.
Traffic queues snaked through Dover and its surrounding approach roads, stretching kilometres, with lorries backed up the M20 motorway leading to the town.
A traffic management system was introduced on the M20 to manage the high volume of lorries backed up towards Dover.
Parts of the motorway were closed to non-freight traffic and cars were diverted towards the port and the Eurotunnel by other routes.
Eurotunnel said its train shuttle services for vehicles between nearby Folkestone and Coquelles in northern France were two hours behind schedule.
Passengers embarking on cross-Channel sailings from Dover must pass through French border checks before they can board a ferry.
In France, politicians blamed the security checks, a result of Brexit, while in the UK, the problem was pinned on staffing at French border control.
Business and port officials in England indicated both staffing and longer security checks played a role in the delays.
UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss laid the blame squarely on Paris, insisting: “The French authorities have not put enough people on the border.”
Port authorities said they were “relieved that French border staff (Police Aux Frontieres) have now been fully mobilised at French border controls in Dover”.
The port of Dover chief executive, Doug Bannister, said it was “immensely frustrating” to be “let down” by poor resourcing at the French border.
He has also stated that there will be “increased transaction times” at the border due to extra checks needed.
Lucy Morton, a professional officer for the ISU, a union for borders and immigration officers, also blamed Brexit.
“Prior to Brexit there was a deemed right of entry — we weren’t in Schengen but there were still very minimal checks.
“Frequently there were no French checks at all,” she said
Natalie Chapman, from haulier group Logistics UK, echoed concerns about French staff numbers and Brexit changes.
She said: “As I say, the cause was that lack of resource yesterday but also, of course, it takes a lot longer to process through traffic than it used to.
Officials on the French side of the Channel rejected claims that the gridlock was caused by understaffing, saying border checks and the accompanying extra paperwork for freight traffic were the reasons.
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Age: 23
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs
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- Power: 640hp
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- Price: Not announced yet
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
