Ferry strike and ‘migrant activity’ fouls up cross-Channel routes to Europe and leaves part of M20 packed with lorries

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Cross-Channel chaos is continuing as lorries queue across Kent and Eurotunnel passengers face hours of delays after strikes and “migrant activity” fouled up routes from the UK to Europe.

Shuttle passengers booked to take their vehicle to the continent were being warned of an hour’s delay to check in and a further four hours before departure, Eurotunnel said, after migrants invaded its terminal in Coquelles.

Thousands of France-bound lorry drivers spent the night parked on the M20 as part of Operation Stack after strike action at the port of Calais halted ferry services.

On Saturday, the Conservative MP Damian Green, whose Ashford constituency encompasses part of the M20 now jammed with lorries as well as a Eurotunnel railway station, called on the French government to “enforce its own laws”.

“We the British government have spent a lot of money in Calais particularly, which has made Calais more secure that it was,” he told Radio 4’s Today programme. “There will be more security measures coming in at Calais, but clearly the big problems at the moment are at the other terminal, the European terminal, and it can’t be beyond the wit of man to police that better.”

Operation Stack: when disrupted Channel crossings lead to extreme traffic control Read more

Philip Gomm, of the RAC Foundation, said: “Kent is a major gateway to and from Europe but once again that gate is well and truly shut. Operation Stack has become the rule rather than the exception, and on one of the busiest travel weekends of the year it is causing mayhem for hauliers, holidaymakers and local residents alike.

“Solving the immigration crisis is clearly a job for heads of government but that doesn’t mean officials here can’t do more to keep south-east England moving. The depressing thing is that cross-Channel disruption is nothing new and Operation Stack has been with us for almost 30 years. Yet only now are we seriously considering how to address its shortcomings.”

Eurotunnel suspended services for a brief period shortly before midnight on Friday because of “migrant activity”, saying that French authorities were dealing with the situation.



It tweeted: “Please be assured we always work hard to maintain the highest levels of security at our Calais terminal.”

Le Shuttle, which takes passengers across the Channel in cars, motorhomes, buses and other vehicles, usually operates up to four crossings an hour. All services for Saturday were sold out.

Journeys from France to the UK were now running on time, with three departures every hour.

Replying to a passenger hoping to cross on a service just after midday, Eurotunnel said: “It’s not easy to estimate how long the delays will take to resolve. We’re all doing our best.”

Kent police urged motorists to plan their journeys carefully this weekend, with Operation Stack likely to remain in place until Sunday at the earliest.



The M20 coastbound between junctions 8 and 11 remained packed with freight traffic, the force said, with regular traffic diverted around that section of the motorway via the A20.

A Kent police statement said: “Operation Stack is likely to have a knock-on effect and lead to increased congestion on the A20 as well as other local roads. Motorists are therefore asked to consider if their journeys are absolutely necessary, and if so, whether alternative routes can be taken.”

Health officials warned holidaymakers to bring extra food, drink and, if needed, medication so they were prepared for any delays.

Green said the traffic situation in Kent was dreadful, but progress was being made to alleviate some of the worst effects of Operation Stack, with Highways England considering a contraflow system on the M20.

However, the MP said a long-term solution would need action on both sides of the Channel.

The first Eurostar passenger service departed on time at 6.18am on Saturday with all other services running to schedule, according to its website.



Invasions of the Eurotunnel terminal in Coquelles have become a nightly occurrence. There were delays to the service on Thursday when the body of a suspected migrant was found on the roof of a Eurotunnel train at the Channel tunnel terminal in Folkestone.



The news came as video footage emerged apparently showing migrants travelling to Britain on empty freight train carriages.

An estimated 5,000 migrants from countries including Syria, Libya and Eritrea are now believed to be camped in and around Calais.

British freight transport chiefs said the industry was losing £750,000 a day because of the huge problems lorry drivers have faced this summer trying to cross the Channel.