Border checks waived ‘hundreds’ of times
New figures reveal that border checks were relaxed hundreds of times at 28 UK ports over the summer, as part of a pilot scheme authorised by Home Secretary Theresa May.
In response to questions from the home affairs select committee chairman, Theresa May said that border controls were eased at 28 ports and airports, as part of her pilot scheme, referred to as level two checks. In one week alone, controls were eased 260 times, according to leaked emails between the UK Border Agency (UKBA) officials.
New evidence from Labour also shows that passengers on private jets were permitted entry to the UK without being seen by border officials.
Fresh details showing the extent to which border controls were relaxed comes as the former head of the UK border force, who quit his role as a result of the border checks row, is to be questioned by MPs on Tuesday.
Brodie Clark, who was at the Home Office for 40 years, is expected to say he was following orders, and relaxed border checks to prevent overcrowding. Mr Clark has accused Mrs May of making a scapegoat of him and is pursuing a case of constructive dismissal.
Private jets
When discussing private jet passengers in an email, one UKBA official complained to managers about not even being “allowed to physically see the passengers”, saying it was “at odds with national policy” and “is creating an unnecessary gap in border security”, the emails showed.
Government estimates show there are between 80,000 and 90,000 private jet flights every year.
A UKBA spokeswoman said: “It is not true that we don’t carry out passport and warnings index checks on private flight passengers and will deploy officers to airfields where we have concerns.”