More French border guards have been deployed to checkpoints in Britain to prevent long delays caused by new post-Brexit checks on travellers entering the European Union.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander brokered the agreement for the increased presence with her French counterpart Phillippe Tabarot, ahead of the summer holidays.
Ministers were “doing all we can to help travellers get through these new EU security checks as smoothly as possible”, Ms Alexander said.
Last month British travellers were also warned of queues up to six hours long at airports this summer.
Brought in earlier this year, holidaymakers who travel to the EU for the first time since the new Entry/Exit System (EES) was introduced have to have fingerprints and facial scans, register their passport and hand over biometric data.
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But many border points are reportedly collecting the same initial scans multiple times.
UK travellers are now “third country” nationals since leaving the EU after Brexit and, amid fears of delays, Britain pushed for a larger French presence at EU border checks on UK soil, such as at the Port of Dover, until new passport booths and tablets can be installed.
In a bid to prevent queues, ministers have announced they will provide £20m in funding to increase the number of booths on top of £10.5m they have already put towards easing disruption.
Ms Alexander said: “Everyone deserves to enjoy their summer holiday without delays – which is why we are doing all we can to help travellers get through these new EU security checks as smoothly as possible.
“As well as the over £20 million we have given to increase booths for passport checks and minimise disruption, I have raised holidaymakers’ concerns directly with the EU commissioner for transport to make sure they are playing their part to reduce delays during the busiest travel period of the year.
“I will do everything in my power to help holidaymakers on their way.”
Earlier this week a minister said that UK officials had told France to “prioritise flow” during the peak summer holiday period.
Home Office minister Alex Norris told MPs the government would “push very heavily” for the movement of people to be given precedence over compliance with the checks.
A spokesperson for the Department of Transport said: “Heidi Alexander and her French counterpart agreed that high levels of resourcing at border points are essential to enable smoother journeys for passengers over the summer period.”
