Covid-19: faced with the confusion, France eases access for the British "during the holidays"
Entrance to the Channel Tunnel (illustrative image).
REUTERS / Pascal Rossignol
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
Some UK nationals could no longer use the Channel Tunnel for several days to transit through France to reach their European residence, under traffic rules put in place by Paris in order to curb the epidemic of Covid-19, creating confusion at the border.
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With our correspondent in London
,
Marie Boëda
France is easing travel restrictions "
for the end of year celebrations
" for the British wishing to transit through France in order to regain their European residence.
This is what the Ministry of the Interior in Paris told AFP, as new French restrictions linked to Covid-19 are causing confusion in the United Kingdom.
Many British nationals have gone "
in good faith
" to their country for the end of the year celebrations and "
find it difficult to reach their country of residence
", according to the ministry, which has decided to send "
instructions to tolerance
”to police forces at the borders so that everyone can reach their residence.
The blocking concerned the British officially resident in a country of the European Union other than France, and who usually go through France to get there, as is the case during this period of return from the holidays.
However, the measures did not apply to British residents in France, nor to those with a French or European passport.
The British considered themselves “
third country nationals
”, a category of travelers for which transit to another EU country is not allowed, underlines
Marie Boëda
, our correspondent in London.
►
Also to listen: The Channel Tunnel ready for Brexit
"You are not going to go home, sir!
"
This week, Roland, an Englishman living in Belgium said he was stranded in front of the Channel Tunnel.
He wanted to go home.
What was not considered until Thursday as a compelling reason by the French government.
"
I passed British passport control at Folkestone with no problem,"
he said.
But when I arrived at the French border police, the police officer saw that I was British and that I lived in Belgium.
He immediately said: "You are not going to go home, sir!"
It is just very strange to be denied the opportunity to return home the same way you came.
Arbitrary bureaucracy is not going to kill the virus.
"
He abandoned his car in England, and took the Eurostar.
He has now returned to Brussels.
Requests for clarifications
The British Foreign Office had indicated on its site to ask "
urgently for clarifications from the French government
", and advised its nationals to check with carriers before traveling.
In fact, after several hours of floating on Wednesday, December 29, operators and in particular Eurotunnel, beset with questions on Twitter, confirmed the ban.
URGENT UPDATE FOR BRITISH RESIDENTS IN EU: Following a French Government decision, on 28/12/2021, unless they hold French residency, British citizens are now considered 3rd country citizens and can no longer transit France by road to reach their country of residence in the EU.
pic.twitter.com/KGNr3FpWM2
- Eurotunnel Le Shuttle (@LeShuttle) December 29, 2021
"
Unless they hold a French residence, British citizens are now considered third country citizens and can no longer transit through France by road to reach their country of residence in the EU
," tweeted on Wednesday evening Eurotunnel, the subsidiary of the Getlink group which manages the tunnel, evoking a decision of the French government of December 28.
Ditto for the ferries.
"
Only those who have a residence in France will be allowed to enter France
", wrote in a tweet the company P&O Ferries.
The French Ministry of the Interior replied to Agence France-Presse that it was about the application of border instructions, updated on December 18 and which now impose a "
compelling reason
" for enter the territory.
A position finally abandoned by France on Thursday.
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