UK Immigration: We’ll get it right – honest guv!

Time for some more on the saga/joke that is UK Immigration.

For a  recap, head to the post I wrote about the delays at Heathrow during the weekend. But for an ultraquick version

• UK Border at full alert so immigration checks are taking longer
• Not enough staff to enforce it
• Long queues to get into the United Kingdom – especially for non European Economic Area members

The Immigration Minister – Damian Green – was called before the House of Commons on Monday to explain and make an emergency statement.

In it, he states:

• Blame the weather for the bunching of flights
• “Border Force will ensure that all immigration desks at Heathrow and other key ports and airports in the South East are fully staffed during peak periods over the summer.”
• “A contingency force of appropriately trained staff will be sent to the border to provide extra help to ensure passengers are processed as quickly as possible.
• “Border security is Britain’s first line of defence. It cannot and will not be compromised
• The queues were not 2 1/2 hours – despite evidence to the contry presented by the London Evening Standard, and were 90 minutes
• The queues at London Heathrow were “unacceptable”
• New shift patterns to be implemented

There is also a row brewing over immigration times – The Home Office states 6 minutes for EEA/EU passengers, 25 minutes for others for 99% of passengers.

Willie Walsh of International Airlines Group says this is a bit of a farce as that’s based on a sampling of 0.2% of traffic.

Even then, he argues this is “Pathetic and Underwhelming”, when LHR securtiy can be cleared in 5 mintues flat (and I’ve got to admit, going through T1 or T3, I haven’t been waiting more than 10 to get through the system at morning peaks).

Or to quote:

“We need a full and permanent solution urgently, and a greater sense that the scale of the issue is understood in Whitehall.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Whilst new shift patterns are planned, getting the spot teams from one side of the airport to another is going to be fun, and lets face it – SLOW.

Alas, what is needed are more bodies on the ground at inspection points – and with the cuts that have been made, it looks like the UK Border Agency may have re-employ people.

In additional fun news, BAA and The Home Office are fighting over leaflets given out which in so many words say “Complain to the Home Office – not our fault”, which is leading to disagreements between the two organisations.

Well it would be rude of me NOT to publish where to forward your complaints if you’ve been stuck in an excessive wait time at London Heathrow:

The Rt Hon. Damian Green
Immigration Minister
The Home Office
Direct Communications Unit
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

Email:  public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk, Telephone: 020 7035 4848 (09:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday)