There was no traffic jam and no delay. Dover, the nearest British port city to the European continent, calmly ushered in the first day after Britain’s complete Brexit in the morning fog on the 1st.
Since January 1, 2021, the United Kingdom officially withdrew from the European Single Market and the EU Customs Union. According to the future relationship agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union on Christmas Eve last year, a physical checkpoint between the United Kingdom and the European Union will be set up at the border outside Northern Ireland, and goods entering and leaving will be subject to new customs clearance procedures and inspection.
As an important border port between Britain and Europe, Dover Port used to undertake the customs declaration and inspection of about 10,000 trucks in and out of the country every day.
Whether the new customs declaration link will bring congestion and delay, and whether it will make Dover “full of cars” has always attracted attention.
There were no signs of delay and congestion in Dover on the 1st. But the freight industry warns that this calm may only be temporary, and the situation may change as freight traffic increases after the New Year holiday.
Rob Holliman, head of Transport Logistics Company Youngs, said his company deliberately delayed the shipping date due to concerns about congestion on the first day of the Brexit, and no transit cargo will be shipped in the first week of the New Year.
I don’t want my car to be delayed on the road, and I don’t want to risk waiting for two miles in both directions to pass,” he said. “I will judge according to the situation of the week.”
John Shelley, who has worked as a freight forwarder for more than 20 years in Dover, spent the first day in France across the sea.
Convinced that Brexit would not benefit Britain, he was calculating to retire and move.
He told News Agency that no matter which way the UK “Brexit”, the local freight industry and the economy as a whole will be seriously affected.
To this end, he sold his company and residence in the United Kingdom, applied for Irish citizenship, and moved to the European continent.
He is very clear that from the 1st, the movement of people and goods between Britain and Europe will not be as unimpeded as before.
According to the new regulations, British people do not still need to apply for a visa if they stay on the continent for no more than 90 days, but must first confirm that the passport is issued within 10 years and is valid for at least 6 months.
In addition, it is best to buy travel insurance covering health insurance; when traveling with your pet, make sure that the pet has been vaccinated and obtained an animal health certificate 10 days before travel.
Slovak immigrants who have lived in Sheffield, England for many years, are greeted by Biyana Jordan-Holvat on the first day after Brexit with a more positive attitude.
She said she, like many other Europeans who settled in the UK, had “Brexit” panic and was anxious about possible changes in work and life in the future, and she was gratified by the last-minute agreement between the two sides.
Starting today, we must work hard to turn ‘Brexit’ into an opportunity and let’s welcome this change.”
