UK border controls boosted by new technology
Immigration, customs and visa checks will be united in a new UK Border Agency, it was announced today. At the same time the Government announced a £1.2bn programme to strengthen the UK's offshore border controls with new passenger screening technology
By integrating the work of Customs, the Border and Immigration Agency and UKVisas, overseas and at the main points of entry to the UK, the UK Border Agency will have in place both the resources and remit to strengthen the UK's security through strong border controls beginning before travellers start for Britain.
The new agency will have a central role in helping tackle the threats faced from both crime and terrorism, and the £1.2billion programme includes a £650million contract signed today with consortia Trusted Borders for a passenger screening system, which will work alongside the global rollout of fingerprint visas to keep the UK's border secure.
The electronic border security system will screen all passengers before they travel to the UK against immigration, customs and police watch lists. Successful trials of the new system have already led to more than 1,000 criminals being caught and more than 15,000 people of concern being checked out by immigration, customs or the police.
The Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: "A unified border force means a stronger British border. All travellers to Britain will be screened against no fly lists and intercept target lists and, together with biometric visas, this will help keep trouble away from our shores.
"As well as the tougher double check at the border, ID cards for foreign nationals will soon give us a triple check in country. Together this adds up to some of the most advanced security anywhere on the globe. These are the most sweeping changes to our border security for decades."
Today's contract is an essential step in enabling all passengers coming to the UK to be screened against watch lists before they arrive, stopping those with no right to be here from entering the UK. These new measures are in addition to the roll out to more than 100 countries of fingerprint visas.
