PRESS RELEASE : Strike action to affect travellers and goods entering the UK on 15 March [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Home Office on 7 March 2023.
The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union has announced Civil Service industrial action that will impact Border Force operations.
Travellers who are planning to enter the UK on Wednesday 15 March 2023 may face longer wait times at border control.
Check the latest travel advice with operators before you travel.
Be patient and respect officers who are working to keep the UK border safe and secure for all travellers during strike action.
We encourage eligible passengers to use eGates.
Border Force strike proposed date and locations
Dates:
- 15 March
- 16 March (until around 7am)
Locations:
The proposed strike action will impact international arrivals at all UK air and maritime ports, as well as those travelling to the UK from UK border controls in Calais, Dunkirk and Coquelles in Northern France.
If you are travelling into the UK, be prepared for disruption and check before you travel.
Our first priority is to keep our borders safe and secure. We will never compromise on this.
Advice for people entering the UK
If you are travelling into the UK during the proposed industrial action, be prepared for longer wait times at UK border control.
All passengers should check the latest advice from their operators before travelling.
Please be patient and respect officers who are working to keep our citizens safe and border secure, and supporting travellers during the strike action.
We encourage passengers who are eligible to use eGates to do so if these are available.
Please respect staff as we try and get you through the border as quickly and safely as possible. All forms of abuse and any inappropriate behaviour will be reported to the police.
Hauliers: impact of strike action
If you are moving goods during the proposed strike action, be prepared for potential disruption and longer queues at ports and inland border facilities.
Please check with your operator before travelling, be prepared for delays and carefully plan your movements if they coincide with days of strike action.
Border wait times
Accurate queue time data can take some time to gather and check. If you are travelling during the proposed strike dates, be prepared for longer wait times.
Several factors can influence wait times, including high passenger numbers, flight delays and flight bunching. Weather delays and other incidents can also impact border control queues.
We advise travellers to check with travel agents, tour operators, and airlines or carriers before travelling, to check if the proposed strike action will affect your journey.
Passengers can also check airport websites before travelling to stay up to date with the latest information related to travel or possible delays caused by strike action.
What we are doing to avoid disruption and queues at the border during the strike action
We continue to work closely with industry to minimise disruption and delays at the border during any industrial action.
Border Force and industry work together very closely at a local and national level to agree plans for pressures while keeping the public safe and ensuring critical goods such as medicines and food can continue to flow across the border.
Military personnel, civil servants and volunteers from across government are being trained to support Border Force at airports and ports across the UK in the event of potential strike action. Border Force are ready to deploy resource to meet critical demand and support the flow of travellers and goods through the border. However, people entering the UK should be prepared for potential disruption.
