Theresa May: Numbers of unchecked at UK borders unknown.

Danthus

Danthus

Danthus

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Home Secretary Theresa May has admitted she does not know how many people came into the UK without proper checks.

An inquiry has been ordered into claims identity checks on travellers from outside Europe were scaled back in the summer, without ministerial approval.

In a statement to MPs, Mrs May said those responsible would be punished. Brodie Clark, head of the UK border force, is among three staff suspended.

Labour accused Mrs May of giving "the green light for weaker controls".

No 10 has said Mrs May has the "full confidence" of the PM.

Mrs May told the Commons that while ministers had started a pilot project "targeting intelligence-led checks on higher-risk" passengers, Mr Clark had "authorised the wider relaxation of border controls without ministerial sanction".

She said: "As a result of these unauthorised actions, we will never know how many people entered the country who should have been prevented from doing so after being flagged by the warnings index."
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What a frankly ridiculous situation this is.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15615537
 
The UK Border Force look to have been doing their own thing. Naughty boys, slapped wrists and a few heads might roll. I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.
 
I say we tighten up the border patrols and start shooting them unless they agree to turn around and go back to wherever they came from.
 
Quite frankly, border controls are a joke, we really need to tighten the screws and not let people in who claim asylum from afghanistan or whatever.

Why do people turn up from 'warzones' here? What was wrong with the last lot of countries they came through to get here!
 
I read it as Teresa May asks the border cops to use their commonsnense on checks for kids low likelihood travellers to shorten queues. Which I'm guessing any of us that have been through UK border control would applaud. Barmy border cops decide it's an excuse not to do their jobs.

Labour make hay while the sun shines.

A nothing story that should result in a few border cop heads rolling pour encourager les autres.
 
BBC said:
So what exactly happened?

In July 2011, ministers agreed that the UKBA could pilot what has been described as a "risk-based approach" to checks in certain circumstances to allow officials to focus their energies on people who may present a higher risk.

In essence, this meant officers were told they could use their discretion to:

Stop checking biometric chips on every passport belonging to UK nationals and other citizens from inside the European Economic Area.
Stop checking EEA children travelling with their families or in a school party against the warnings index
All other passengers would, the Home Office says, continue to have full checks.

But immigration officials were allegedly authorised to go further than the order and to:

Abandon biometric checks on non-EEA nationals
Abandon the verification of fingerprints contained in visas given to non-EEA nationals
Abandon watch list checks at Calais

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15628313
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Whoever 'authorised' that decision is at fault. The investigation should hopefully highlight who this was and why they thought they were able to authorise such relaxation of the rules set out in the pilot scheme. The pilot scheme in itself is actually a much better way of dealing with passengers, if done correctly.
 
Once upon a time, a long long time ago, the minister in charge would resign over such a blunder...
 
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