Travelers at Gare Midi who clear U.K. passport control are immediately faced with a shelf of Belgian pork products, including a 40-pack of cured sausages and a fridge pack of Bruges smoked ham — both unlikely to be eaten before departure.
But London-bound travelers who try to bring the items into the U.K. face fines of up to £5,000 in the most serious cases. No signs warning about the restrictions were visible near the shelves as of this weekend when POLITICO visited the station.
The sales are taking place right under the noses of U.K. Border Force officials, who are stationed five metres away checking passports for entry to Britain.
British farmers are terrified that another wave of foot-and-mouth will devastate their herds and ruin their livelihoods. Industry representatives worry that the situation at Gare Midi shows the biosecurity rules are not being taken seriously enough.
“It is alarming to see suggestions that pork is being sold at a point of entry into the U.K., despite it being illegal to bring pork and other animals products from the EU into the country due to ongoing foot-and-mouth disease prevention measures,” said Katie Jarvis, senior policy officer at the National Pig Association, the trade association for British pig farmers.
“Clearly the news of these controls, which have been in place for some time, has not been received and understood. We would urge Defra to be proactive with its communication around these personal import controls and ensure there is effective enforcement and consequences for those breaking the law.”