Thread by @rolandmoore

@LeShuttle tonight I was denied access to the Eurotunnel by the FR customs. I was told being a Belgian resident (M card holder) was no longer a compelling reason for transiting FR to go home. I was given this document by the FR customs & told to leave. @UKMisBrussels @FCDOGovUK

An update THREAD to provide more detail on what happened to me on Tuesday 29 Dec.

I possess a M-card in Belgium (residency card in Belgium by virtue of the WA), where I have my principal residency (Ixelles, Brussels). I was visiting family at Christmas in England, UK (18-28 December). 1/9

On Tuesday 28 December, I was returning to my principal and only home in Belgium in my BE plated car via the Eurotunnel at Folkestone to Calais. 2/9

I had all relevant paperwork to enter France. Statement of honour, PLF, digital platform completed, negative RAT, covid vaccines. I had my UK passport and my Belgium residency card (M-card). 3/9

The Police Aux Frontiers at Folkestone looked at my UK passport, looked at my Mcard, asked me if I lived in Belgium. I said yes. He immediately then said: you are not going home tonight. 4/9

The PAF officer said that the rules had changed in the last three hours and asked if I wanted to read them. He asked if I wanted them in EN or FR. I asked for EN and he then handed me the EN version. 5/9

I sat in the car, reading the EN version of this document (as seen in the original post), which precisely and specifically removed my compelling reason to travel i.e. UK benefiting from WA returning home to BE via France. My heart sank. 6/9

PAF were extremely clear that I was being rejected passage to FR for this reason and this reason alone. They did not apologise. They offered zero explanation. They were simply following orders. 7/9

Incredulously the PAF officer even started the whole conversation by asking if i was aware of the rules. How could i be when a) they were just invented and b) this rule change was not even published anywhere (and to my knowledge never was). 8/9

I was asked then to move my car to the parking bay. Then the police officer came, handed me back my passport and card and told me to follow the @LeShuttle staffer. I was then escorted to the exit of the ET site. 9/9