‘We must prepare for WORST’ France to ramp up UK border controls for no deal Brexit

Mr Darmanin, who is also in charge of customs, told France Bleu Nord radio: “We absolutely have to prepare for the worse, that is to say that in March there is no legal relationship with our British friends.

“We do not know what is going to happen, which is why the Prime Minister has asked us to prepare for a no-deal Brexit – for the worst-case scenario.

“We have to re-establish the border because otherwise people in the single market will not understand why companies from outside the EU’s rules have access to the single market.”

Mr Darmanin said half of the new customs officers would be hired by the end of this year, ahead of Britain’s expected exit from the European Union in March 2019. The departure of our British friends from the common market will have negative consequences Gérald Darmanin The new recruits will “almost exclusively” deal with Brexit-related issues, he said.

Mr Darmanin said: “The departure of our British friends from the common market will have negative consequences.

“But we can also hope that there will be a ‘new deal’ in two years’ time and that for the next 18 months we can agree on a post-Brexit transition period.”

With less than six months to go until Britain leaves the bloc, there is still no agreement on divorce terms and clarity on a new trade relationship.

A no-deal Brexit scenario would be problematic “for the European Union” but also “for France,” the customs chief said, which “between Le Havre, Dunkirk, Calais and the Channel Tunnel” has “privileged ties” with the UK. Mr Darmanin said while the northern port of Dunkirk regularly handled goods from outside the EU, the government was looking to set up a new customs facility in the nearby port of Calais, which handles mainly trade with Britain.

The fortunes of Calais and the wider Hauts-de-France region are closely entwined with the UK’s future trade ties.

The conservative minister also said plans are underway for a new scanner that can scan freight trains passing through the tunnel linking England and France at 30 km (19 miles) an hour.

In a separate interview with Les Echos newspaper, Mr Darmanin said in the event of a “hard Brexit,” merchandise coming from Britain could face up to four different procedures under a post-Brexit trading system, compared with only one currently.

This could translate into an extra two minutes per lorry going through border controls, which in turn could potentially lead to longer queues and gridlock in ports.

He said: “But if the EU finally reaches an agreement with the UK, there will be nothing but good news.”