The sight of British paratroopers being greeted by passport control in Normandy ahead of D-Day commemorations has been dubbed ‘Peak Brexit’ by commentators on social media.
Videos have emerged on social media showing the troops landing in a French field carrying their heavy bags, only to be forced to show their passports and documents to the officers.
In the background of the video, shared to X by journalist Jerome Starky, a swarm of other paras can be seen landing after jumping out of a plane in commemoration of the Normandy landings.
But no sooner had they touched the ground than they were having their documents checked and stamped due to new border controls brought in due to Brexit.
According to reports, some 400 British, Belgian, Canadian, and US paratroopers took part in the jump, descending into a historic D-Day drop zone to recreate the events of 1944.
At 1pm, the paratroopers launched themselves out of an Airbus A400M, touching down roughly eight minutes later in fields near Sannerville – designated drop zone K on June 6 1944.
The British Army’s 16 Air Assault Brigade sent 250 paratroopers to the event, who had to clear new customs terminals before being allowed into the country.
A Parachute Regiment source said: “While we don’t put on a big show every year, the 80th anniversary is being seen as special as it’s probably the last milestone for surviving veterans.”