UK border scandal: ‘Something had to give’
As Theresa May faces MPs over claims people were let into the UK without proper checks, the chairman of the union for immigration staff tells Channel 4 News “something had to give” after job cuts.
Theresa May is making a statement to the House of Commons amid claims that border staff relaxed security checks on people entering the UK over the summer.
The head of the UK border force, Brodie Clark, has been suspended over the claims and an inquiry has been set up under John Vine, chief inspector of the UK Border Agency.
There have been suggestions that the decision was taken to relax passport checks to ease queues in the peak season. One airport source told Channel 4 News: “Fundamentally it’s all about the queues.”
However, it is unclear who ordered the apparent relaxation of the checks. Union officials have claimed that their members – staff working for the UK border force – would only have done so if they thought the orders came with ministerial approval.
We are not surprised something had to give at some point. Andy Friend, chairman of the Immigration Service Union
Andy Friend, chairman of the Immigration Service Union, told Channel 4 News: “Our members were told to do this, regarding the checks.
“They feel somewhat embarrassed now as they naturally presumed the order came from on high.”
He added: “With the job cuts and the changes in work patterns, we are not surprised something had to give at some point. There are not enough people on at certain times to do the job.”
Airport operator BAA said queues caused “frustration” and more resources were needed to avoid problems at immigration.
Read more: Inquiry into UK border force passport checks
A spokesperson said: “The responsibility for border control rests solely with UKBA. Ministers must ensure UKBA has the resources to keep both our borders secure and waiting times to a minimum.”
Prime Minister David Cameron’s official spokesman said the prime minister had full confidence in the home secretary, who had not offered to resign over the issue.
The spokesman added: “He is obviously very concerned about these issues. There is clearly now an investigation under way, looking into precisely what happened.”
Asked whether Mr Cameron was aware of the decision to relax checks, the spokesman said: “On that kind of operational decision it is normal for departmental ministers to have oversight.”
Checks ‘relaxed’
The Labour Party has demanded answers over whether any terror suspects entered the country as a result of what it called “lapses in security and passport checks”.
According to reports, border guards were told not to bother checking biometric chips on the passports of citizens from outside the European Union to ensure they are not fraudsters.
The guards were also instructed not to bother checking fingerprints and other personal details against a Home Office database of terror suspects and illegal immigrants, it has been claimed.
A UK Border Agency (UKBA) source told Home Affairs Correspondent Simon Israel that immigration officers had been instructed not to question or to verify visa-carrying non-EU passengers entering the UK.
The source said: “We were told if there were queues, just look at the passport and let the person through.”
The scandal is the latest blow for the UK Border Agency, which was criticised last week by MPs for losing track of 124,000 migrant and asylum applicants.