Brexit Could See Lines Grow at British Passport Control
Jackie Reddy January 17, 2017
With waiting times already stretched, the Airport Operators Association has voiced its concern over the impact that Brexit will have on the nation’s immigration services.
Waiting times for British passport lines are projected to “almost double” when the country leaves the European Union (EU), warns the Airport Operators Association (AOA). The AOA represents nearly 50 British airports and says that the country’s Border Force, the body responsible for enforcing immigration laws in the U.K., is struggling to meet waiting time targets.
The AOA has implored the British government to provide more substantial investment to enable airports to meet the demand of enforcing passport checks for EU nationals after Brexit comes into force. These tougher checks would be carried out among a backdrop of heightened passenger numbers at the country’s airports.
At present, EU citizens arriving into the U.K. must currently pass through what’s known as a “soft border,” a control that is used to establish their identity. Those coming from outside of the EU must be assessed via what’s called a “hard border,” which determines their right to enter Britain. Waiting times for the former type of control usually take up to 25 minutes while the those for the latter can take up to 45 minutes.
Henk Van Klaveren, the AOA’s spokesperson, told the Independent that those within the British airline industry were “highly concerned” about the impact of Brexit on waiting times, especially when the country’s immigration service is already struggling.
“Complaint logs have gone up. We should be meeting the waiting time targets 95 per cent of the time, now it’s more like 50 per cent because of a real struggle for Border Force to cope,” he said.
“If we change the rights of EU citizens to come in through free movement, they will be subjected to the hard border checks, which could result in waiting times almost doubling,” Van Klaveren added.
The fact that funding for staff levels at British airports have not kept pace with passenger figures is also adding to the problem and Van Klaveren is adamant in his assessment of the situation.
“The government must embark on an open and transparent long-term resource planning-exercise for Border Force operations at UK airports,” he told the paper.
[Photo: Shutterstock]
Switzerland is certainly a member of Schengen without being in the EU, but the UK is currently the opposite, a member of the EU without being in Schengen. There are currently no passport controls for travel from Schengen countries into Switzerland, whilst everybody gets controlled coming into the UK already (well except for flights from Ireland).
Yet another reason to avoid this awful rainy rock in the Atlantic even more. Has been an insulting nightmare already to wait for ages as an EU citizen and it's only going to get worse. Glad I left in time!
Oh really??? Longer than the 2 hours you normally wait coming from the US?
No need to travel there in any other purpose from EU than tourism. Let´s hope that Scotland separates as soon as possible. The great days of UK have gone forever and Qataris are going to take over rest of London there is to take. Brits will find their identity and income from polishing shoes of the wealthy Arabs, Indians, far-Easters, and Russian oligarchs. And let´s also hope that the e-passport machines within Schengen would disapprove UK (or what will be left of it) in the near future.
Let's go elsewhere than than the UK then:-). Unless hey will not let crash the Pound further, there will not be much business / tourism left.