PARIS, December 30, 2021 (AFP) – Britons have been unable to use the tunnel under the English Channel for several days to travel through France in order to return to their European homeland, due to traffic regulations put in place by France. To contain the Covid-19 epidemic, which creates confusion at the borders.
The blockade affects Britons who are officially resident in an EU country other than France and who generally pass through France to get there, as it does during this holiday period.
Residents of France are not affected by this measure.
“Unless they have French residency, Britons are now considered nationals of countries outside the EU and can no longer travel through France by road to reach their country of residence within the EU,” Eurotunnel, a subsidiary of Getlink Group, tweeted on Wednesday. which operates the canal tunnel, citing the decision of the French government on December 28.
The same is true for phrases. “Only those residing in France will be able to enter France,” P&O Ferries wrote in a tweet.
In turn, the Ministry of the Interior responded to AFP that there had been no change in the rules and that the matter was related to the application of the rules at the borders.
“The British and even the beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement – which until now allows them to be exempted from their residence permit – are nationals of countries outside the European Union,” the ministry said. “Therefore, it makes sense that they receive the same criteria as nationals of other countries outside the EU and cannot move to another EU country.”
The application of these rules surprised British passengers who had planned to use the European Tunnel to return to their European country of residence. Some on Twitter expressed that they were denied access to the tunnel shortly before boarding the plane.
“I’m totally lost, meaningless!” Britain’s Fiona Naveen Jones told AFP. , who is currently in the UK and was due to drive back on Thursday with her children, husband and dog to Belgium, where she has lived for 14 years.
He traveled for Christmas with his family and now he won’t be able to take the same route back. “Now I don’t have the right to go home,” says this teacher, calling it “the cause of Brexit disguised as Covid.”
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