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The UK Border Agency has now finished their upgrade to their website which, we assume is supposed to be state of the art and streamlined to make life easier. After all their moto is ‘a fairer system for all‘! However; users will be forgiven for thinking that the new website is, in keeping with UKBA.

Border Force is a part of the Home Office, responsible for frontline border control operations at air, sea and rail ports in the United Kingdom. The force was part of the now defunct UK Border Agency from its establishment in 2008 until Home SecretaryTheresa May demerged it in March 2012 after severe criticism of the senior management.^[1]

Since 1 March 2012, Border Force has been a law-enforcement command within the Home Office, accountable directly to ministers. Border Force is responsible for immigration and customs at 140 rail, air and sea ports in the UK and western Europe, as well as thousands of smaller airstrips, ports and marinas.^[2] The work of the Border Force is monitored by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration.

Border Force officers are not police constables and the Border Force is not a police force. However, aside from powers listed below in relation to immigration and customs, section 2 of the Borders Act 2007 does allow designated members of the Border Force to detain anyone for any criminal offence or arrest warrant at a port if the Border Officer thinks they would be liable to arrest by a police constable. The power allows detention for 3 hours pending the arrival of a police constable. The power also applies to points of entry in Belgium and France where Border Officers work whereby the Border Officer will turn the detained person over to Belgian or French police officers as appropriate.^[3]

• 3Powers
• 5Organisation
• 6Equipment

History[edit]

Border Force was born out of a confusing decade for the UK immigration and customs after several attempts of reform and re-structure. Prior to 2007 three agencies were responsible for border control in the UK: HM Revenue and Customs (HM Customs and Excise till 2005) dealt with customs, Immigration and Nationality Directorate dealt with all immigration roles within the UK and at the border, and UKVisas issued visas both from the UK and its offices abroad. As early as 2003, a single 'border police force' had been proposed.^[4] In 2005, HMCE and Inland Revenue merged to form HMRC, however HMRC was still responsible for customs control at the border until 2009. Throughout 2006 and 2007 there were suggestions for a merged border control department.^[5]

Initially this plan was to turn the Immigration and Nationality Directorate into a uniformed body of Immigration officers at the border, the Border and Immigration Agency. The BIA was created on 1 April 2007. It was short lived and was replaced only a year later on 1 April 2008 by the UK Border Agency (UKBA). The UK Border Agency was a merger of the Border and Immigration Agency (BIA), UKvisas and the port customs functions of HM Revenue and Customs. It created one of the largest law enforcement bodies in the UK.

UKBA had a chequered history. There were difficulties with the management of student visas under Tier 4 of the Points-Based System. The assessment of the Independent Chief Inspector, carried out between July and August 2010, found that there was an inconsistent response towards applications, with some cases given extra time to prepare and others dismissed for minor reasons.^[6]

In November 2011, the Home Affairs Select Committee issued a report that found that 124,000 deportation cases had been shelved by the UKBA. The report said the cases had been dumped in a 'controlled archive', a term used to try to hide the fact from authorities and auditors that it was a list of lost applicants.^[7]

Following allegations that staff were told to relax some identity checks, in November 2011 the UK Home Office suspended Brodie Clark, the Head of the UK Border Agency;^[8] Carole Upshall, director of the Border Agency South and European Operation;^[9] Graham Kyle, director of operations at Heathrow Airport.^[8] The Home Office investigated allegations that Clark had agreed to 'open up the borders' at certain times in ways ministers would 'not have agreed with'.^[8] It is alleged that between July and the end of October 2011, queues at passport control were 'managed' so as not to annoy holiday makers.^[9] The BBC reported that staff may have been told not to scan biometric passports at certain times. A biometric passport contains a digital image of the holder's face, which can be used to compare with the printed version and check the passport has not been forged.^[8] It is also believed that 'warning index checks' at Heathrow and Calais were also suspended, which would have applied strict security checks against official watchlists of terrorists, criminals, and deported illegal immigrants.^[10]

After Clark refused the offer to take early retirement, he was suspended and the investigation began.^[8] A two-week inquiry led by former Metropolitan Police detective Dave Wood, head of the agency's enforcement and crime group at the time, sought to discover to what extent checks were scaled down, and what the security implications might have been. A second investigation, led by former MI6 official Mike Anderson, the Director General of the Home Office's strategy, immigration and international group, sought to investigate wider issues relating to the performance of UKBA regarding racism. The issues relating to lost documents and case files was still going on at the same time, along with a backlog of cases.

It was then announced on 5 November by Theresa May that an independent inquiry would also be undertaken, led by the Chief Inspector of the UK Border Agency, John Vine.^[11] Following all these combined failings, UK Border Force became a separate organisation on 1 March 2012.^[12]

The first Director General of Border Force was the former Chief Constable of Wiltshire PoliceBrian Moore, who was appointed on secondment on an interim basis to last until 31 August 2012 and was expected to apply for the position permanently, despite criticism of his management of passport queues.^[13] On 10 July 2012, Immigration Minister Damian Green confirmed that Moore had not applied for the post, despite Moore earlier telling the Home Affairs Select Committee that he would be applying.

Tony Smith was appointed as interim Director General of Border Force on 19 September 2012.^[14] Smith was previously Gold Commander for the London 2012 Olympic Programme and Regional Director for London and the South East in the UK Border Agency. and has spent forty years in border control and enforcement work.

Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Montgomery was named as the new Director General on 25 January 2013.^[15] In June 2017 Montgomery left Border Force and Paul Lincoln a civil servant from the MOD and Home office appointed as the new Director General.^[16] Neither of the two had any previous experience of immigration or customs.

Responsibilities[edit]

The stated responsibilities of the Home Office's Border Force are the following:^[17][18]

• checking the immigration status of people arriving in and departing the UK
• searching baggage, vehicles and cargo for illicit goods or illegal immigrants
• patrolling the British coastline and searching vessels
• gathering intelligence
• alerting the police and security services to people of interest

Border Force is responsible for immigration and customs at 140 rail, air and sea ports in the UK and western Europe, as well as thousands of smaller airstrips, ports and marinas.

Powers[edit]

Staff hold a mixture of powers granted to them by their status as immigration officers and designated customs officials.

Immigration powers[edit]

Immigration officers have powers of arrest and detention conferred on them by the Immigration Act 1971 and subsequent Immigration Acts, when both at ports and inland. In practice, non-arrest trained Border Force immigration officers exercise powers under Schedule 2 of the Immigration Act 1971, while inland immigration officers work under S28A-H of the Immigration Act 1971 and paragraph 17 of Schedule 2 of the same Act, as do arrest-trained Border Force immigration officers at the frontier.

Historically, port and inland immigration officers received different training to reflect these different approaches to immigration enforcement, which is now reinforced by inland officers working for Immigration Enforcement, a separate Home Office Command.

'Designated Immigration Officers' are Border Force immigration officers who have been designated with additional detention powers, under Sections 1 to 4 of the UK Borders Act 2007, where a person at a port or airport is suspected of being liable to arrest by a police officer for non-border offences.

Customs powers[edit]

Border Force officers, designated as customs officials under the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009, have wide-ranging powers of entry, search, seizure and arrest. They hold the same customs and excise powers as officers of HM Revenue and Customs, but cannot use HMRC powers for non-border matters, such as Income Tax and VAT. Amongst their powers is the ability to arrest anyone who has committed, or whom the officer has reasonable grounds to suspect has committed, any offence under the Customs and Excise Acts. They may also seize prohibited and restricted goods, such as controlled drugs and firearms, as well as ensuring that imported goods bear the correct taxes and duties.^[19]

Training[edit]

The Border Force Officer training pathway consists of three standaloneprogrammes aligned to professional frameworks includingthe Operational Delivery Framework, Civil Service CompetencyFramework and European Sectoral Qualifications Framework.

Core Skills 1 programme is a three part programme designed totest both skills and knowledge of the immigration function at the PrimaryControl Point (PCP), as well as some customs functions. The three partsinclude pre course online learning, classroom learning and mentoring.

The classroom element is a three week programme combining assessment,role-play, live and theoretical tests. This is then followed by a period ofconsolidated learning (mentoring) in an operational environment, whichcan take up to 4 weeks. Once all three strands of the programme havebeen completed and all the necessary tests and assessments have beenpassed, this will give successful officers the power to act under the Immigration Act.

Following this initial phase your training will include:• ongoing on-the-job mentoring• Some specialist training as well as the Core Skills 3 programme, which includesfurther classroom training normally undertaken within 12 months.

Core Skills 2 is the customs course. This consists of a 5 week course plus about 5 weeks of mentoring.

Core Skills 3 which is the investigation/casework immigration course. This consists of 15 day course plus 3/4 weeks of mentoring.

In addition there is Personal safety training (PST) (self defence/restraint/handcuffing/baton training).

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Organisation[edit]

Border Force has five operational regions: Central; Heathrow; North; South; and South East & Europe. The regions have responsibility for securing the border 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at the UK’s ports, airports, postal depots and rail. This includes the Eurostar from Brussels and Paris to St Pancras International and the Eurotunnel from Coquelles to Folkestone.

The regions’ varied work includes stopping 100 per cent of passengers arriving at ports or airports for immigration controls. Officers also conduct risk-led interceptions for controlled drugs, cash, tobacco, alcohol, firearms, offensive weapons, prohibited goods, counterfeit goods and clandestine entrants. They do this at passenger and freight controls, covering passengers travelling on foot, by car, coaches, freight vehicles, as well as air freight and sea containers.

Common travel area[edit]

Immigration control within the United Kingdom is managed within a wider Common Travel Area (CTA). The CTA is an intergovernmental agreement that allows freedom of movement within an area that encompasses the UK, Isle of Man, Channel Islands (Guernsey, Jersey, Sark and Alderney) and the Republic of Ireland. Authorised entry to any of the above essentially allows entry to all the others but it is the responsibility of the person entering to ensure that they are properly documented for entry to other parts of the CTA. Despite the CTA it is still possible to be deported from the UK to the Republic of Ireland and vice versa.

Juxtaposed controls[edit]

Entry to the UK via the Channel Tunnel from France or Belgium or by ferry through selected ports in north-east France is controlled by juxtaposed immigration controls in Britain, France, and Belgium, i.e. travellers clear UK passport control in France or Belgium and those travelling to France or Belgium clear French controls while in the UK. Belgium does not maintain controls in the UK as the first Schengen country entered is France. UK Border Force checkpoints in France are operated at Gare de Calais-Fréthun, Gare de Lille Europe, Channel Tunnel, Calais ferry terminal, Dunkirk ferry terminal and Gare du Nord station, Paris. For passengers arriving by the Eurostar train from Marne-la Vallée Chessy, UK border control takes place at the arrival stations in the UK. A checkpoint operated at Boulogne-sur-Mer until the port closed in August 2010. United States border preclearance is an equivalent system operated by that country's equivalent to the UKBF at some airports outside the US.

Equipment[edit]

British Border Agency

Officer equipment[edit]

Border Force officers wear a uniform with rank insignia. Border Force uniform is navy blue and, currently, modelled on the Metropolitan Police uniform. Border Force officers can make use of body armour and carry handcuffs, as well as extendable batons. Limb restraints are also in circulation. Officers also carry Tetra radios on the secure Airwave network, often with earpieces, to communicate with other officers.^[20] In addition, officers may also carry other useful police equipment, such as torches. Torches currently issued, depending on location and job role, include Lenser LED P7.2 and Maglite LED 2D & 3D Cell.

Uk Border Agency Jobs

Specialist forgery detection equipment is available at ports and airports to identify false passports and identity documents. Customs officials make use of a variety of specialised tools and equipment when searching cars, lorries, aircraft, container ships and other items crossing the border.

Rank insignia[edit]

Uniformed Border Force officers have their rank displayed on shoulder epaulettes, attached to their shirt, jumper or jacket. Warranted officers below Senior Officer rank may also have their identification number displayed. The rank and epaulette styling is in line with many other border agencies and shares close similarities with its Australian counterpart, the Australian Border Force.^{[citation needed]}

Vessels[edit]

All vessels of the Border Force bear the ship prefix 'HMC'—Her Majesty'sCutter. Between May and October 2015 two of the vessels, HMC Protector and HMC Seeker, were deployed in the Mediterranean conducting search and rescue operations. The Border Force also has a recently chartered vessel named MV VOS Grace.^[21]

• Seeker

• Vigilant

• Valiant

• Protector

Notable operations and successes[edit]

• On 23 April 2015, HMC Valiant assisted by HMS Somerset who had NCA officers on board, Intercepted the MV Hamal, a tug, and after she was searched in Aberdeen the largest UK drug seizure of 3.2 tonnes of cocaine was found onboard, in her forward ballast tank. There was so much on board it took three days to remove and had to be placed under armed guard. ^{[27][28][29][30]}
• On 31 July 2017, Border Force won a court case where a judge declared child sex dolls to be an obscene item after a seizure of one was challenged. ^[31][32]
• On 31 January 2018, Border force officers at Farnborough Airport became suspicious after a routine boarding and inspection of a private jet from Colombia, and upon a Customs search; discovered 500kg of cocaine worth a street value of £50,000,000 in fifteen suitcases. ^[33][34][35]
• During the 2015 European migrant crisis, Border Force rescued over 1,650 migrants and arrested 27 suspected people smugglers over one summer as part of the EU Mission in the Mediterranean Sea. ^[36][37][38]
• In February 2017, Border Force took part in Operation Thunderbird organised by INTERPOL to tackle wildlife crime and wildlife trafficking. Border Force officers made 182 seizures during the operation, which ran between 30 January and 19 February. Among the items found were 11 kilos of ivory, 600,000 live eels, 74 live orchids, eight cacti, 13 reptile skin products, around 3,500 musical instruments containing CITES wood. ^[39][40]
• In December 2012, Border Force seized 1.2 tonnes of fake CDs at Manchester Airport^[41][42]
• A couple were convicted in April 2013 for trying to smuggle a Nigerian baby into the UK, claiming it was their own. They were stopped and investigated after Border Force officers became suspicious ^[43][44]
• Border Force Detector dog Megan became the most successful UK drug detector dog. Over a seven-year period with Border Force, she foiled 102 smuggling attempts into the UK. She retired in March 2014. ^[45][46]
• Another Border Force detector dog, Jessie found £1,000,000 being smuggled over a five-month period. ^[47][48]
• Two separate attempts to smuggle birds into the UK inside suitcases was prevented by Border Force officers at Leeds Bradford Airport in May 2013. ^[49]
• Twelve critically endangered iguanas seized from smugglers by Border Force officers at London Heathrow Airport have been returned home to their native Bahamas. The reptiles were discovered in the baggage of two Romanian nationals on 3 February 2014 by officers carrying out customs checks. ^[50][51][52]
• In September 2015, Border Force officers seized a tonne of cannabis at London Gateway port. It came after 2 tonnes were seized there in February 2015. ^[53][54]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^'Theresa May to split up UK Border Agency'. BBC News. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
2. ^'Home Secretary's statement on border security - Oral statements to Parliament - GOV.UK'. Homeoffice.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
3. ^'UK Borders Act 2007'. www.legislation.gov.uk. Expert Participation. Retrieved 26 November 2018.CS1 maint: others (link)
4. ^'UK needs 'border security force''. News.bbc.co.uk. 28 October 2003. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
5. ^'Reid plans border-control force'. News.bbc.co.uk. 23 July 2006. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
6. ^John Oates (16 February 2011). 'UK Border Agency: Good at making cash, crap at making decisions'. The Register. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
7. ^Casciani, Dominic (4 November 2011). 'UK Border Agency attacked for 'dumping' missing cases'. BBC. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
8. ^ ^abcde'BBC News – Head of UK border force Brodie Clark suspended'. BBC. 5 November 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
9. ^ ^abJames Slack (5 November 2011). 'UK border chief axed passport controls: Top civil servant faces sack over decision that left Britain open to terrorists and criminals'. Daily Mail. London. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
10. ^Alan Travis, home affairs editor (5 November 2011). 'Head of UK border force suspended'. The Guardian. London. Retrieved 12 April 2012.CS1 maint: Extra text: authors list (link)
11. ^Chris Mason (5 November 2011). 'Inquiry into border agency passport check claims'. BBC. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
12. ^'Theresa May to split up UK Border Agency'. BBC News. 20 February 2012. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
13. ^David Millward (22 May 2012). 'Border Force chief faces battle to keep job over threat of four-hour immigration queues during Olympics'. The Telegraph. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
14. ^Home Affairs Select Committee, 18 September 2012
15. ^'New Director General of Border Force announced'. Home Office. 25 January 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
16. ^'New Director-General of Border Force appointed'. Gov.uk. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
17. ^'Inside government: Border Force'. UK Government (gov.uk). Retrieved 20 May 2013.
18. ^'About – Border Force'. Gov.uk. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
19. ^'Section 138, Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 (c. 2)'. Office of Public Sector Information. Archived from the original on 11 October 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
20. ^UK Border Force Documentary, Season 2, Episode 3 (YouTube)
21. ^'Migration: Mediterranean Sea: Written question - 24322'. Parliament.uk. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
22. ^HMC Protector: Customs patrol boat launched, bbc.com, 17 March 2014 - 'It will be located in Portsmouth and will operate around the UK coastline.'
23. ^'Home Secretary launches new Border Force cutter to protect UK coastline'. gov.uk. HM Government. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
24. ^ ^abcdSheldrick, Giles (17 October 2016). 'Patrol boat deployed in English Channel as Calais 'Jungle' prepares to be demolished'. Express.co.uk. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
25. ^ ^abcd'New Border Force patrol boats will tackle people traffickers in the English Channel'. Kent Live. 11 October 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
26. ^ ^abcdPyman, Tom. 'Border Force introduces more coastal patrol boats in bid to step up security off Kent coast'. Kent News. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
27. ^Clarke, Aileen; Sleight, Christopher (11 July 2016). 'How the UK's biggest drugs bust was made'. BBC News. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
28. ^Williams, Greg. 'Cocaine, tug boats and tip offs: the inside story of the largest drug bust in UK history'. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
29. ^'Two jailed over record cocaine seizure'. BBC News. 12 August 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
30. ^'Two guilty of smuggling £512m of cocaine'. BBC News. 11 July 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
31. ^'Child sex doll an obscene item, judge rules'. BBC News. 31 July 2017. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
32. ^Shaw, Danny (31 July 2017). 'The 'new phenomenon' of child sex dolls'. BBC News. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
33. ^'Cocaine 'worth £50m' found on private jet'. BBC News. 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
34. ^'Five in court over £50m cocaine haul on jet'. BBC News. 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
35. ^'Huge UK Cocaine Seizure on Private Jet Signals Traffickers' Growing Boldness'. InSight Crime. 7 February 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
36. ^'Border Force cutters return from Mediterranean search and rescue operations'. www.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
37. ^'Border Force cutter in Mediterranean migrant rescue mission'. www.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
38. ^'Migrant rescue ships return to UK'. BBC News. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
39. ^'Border Force's role in Operation Thunderbird - Home Office in the media'. homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
40. ^Dawson/Reuters, Simon (20 December 2017). 'Bear bile and snakeskin boots: illegal goods seized at Heathrow – in pictures'. the Guardian. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
41. ^'Rolling Stones and Taylor Swift CDs among one tonne of fakes found by Border Force'. www.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
42. ^'Massive haul of fake CDs seized at Manchester Airport'. ITV News. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
43. ^'Oxford Pair Convicted For Baby Smuggling'. Heart Thames Valley. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
44. ^'Couple convicted over baby smuggling attempt'. www.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
45. ^'Border Force dog prevents more than 100 drug smuggling attempts'. www.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
46. ^'Megan's got a nose for trouble'. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
47. ^'Hero spaniel sniffs out £1m cash smuggled through Heathrow in 5 months'. Evening Standard. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
48. ^'Super spaniel sniffs out £1 million in 5 months'. ITV News. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
49. ^'Birds smuggled in suitcases found at Leeds Bradford Airport'. www.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
50. ^'Smuggled iguanas returned home by Border Force'. www.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
51. ^Perry, Keith (3 April 2014). 'Stuffed in socks: 13 iguanas smuggled into UK in a suitcase'. ISSN0307-1235. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
52. ^'Smuggled Iguanas Returned to Bahamas by Border Force'. www.nwcu.police.uk. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
53. ^'Tonne of cannabis seized by Border Force at London Gateway'. www.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
54. ^'Cannabis worth over £5m seized at London Gateway'. Echo. Retrieved 1 March 2018.

External links[edit]

The UK Border Agency (UKBA) was the border control agency of the Government of the United Kingdom and part of the Home Office that was superseded by UK Visas and Immigration, UK Border Force and Immigration Enforcement in April 2013.^[1] It was formed as an executive agency on 1 April 2008 by a merger of the Border and Immigration Agency (BIA), UKvisas and the Detection functions of HM Revenue and Customs. The decision to create a single border control organisation was taken following a Cabinet Office report.^[2]

The agency's head office was 2 Marsham Street, London. Rob Whiteman became Chief Executive in September 2011. Over 23,000 staff worked for the agency, in over 130 countries. It was divided into four main operations, each under the management of a senior director: operations, immigration and settlement, international operations and visas and law enforcement.^[3]

The agency came under formal criticism from the Parliamentary Ombudsman for consistently poor service, a backlog of hundreds of thousands of cases, and a large and increasing number of complaints.^[4] In the first nine months of 2009–10, 97% of investigations reported by the Ombudsman resulted in a complaint against the agency being upheld.^[5] The complainants were asylum, residence, or other immigration applicants.^[5]

On 26 March 2013, following a scathing report into the agency's incompetence by the Home Affairs Select Committee,^[6] it was announced by Home SecretaryTheresa May that the UK Border Agency would be abolished and its work returned to the Home Office. Its executive agency status was removed^[7] as of 31 March 2013 ^[8] and the agency was split into two new organisations; UK Visas and Immigration focusing on the visa system and Immigration Enforcement, focusing on immigration law enforcement.^[9][10] Prior to this in April 2012, the border control division of the UKBA was separated from the rest of the agency as the Border Force.

• 2Powers
• 3Immigration control
• 4Controversies

Role[edit]

The agency attained full agency status on 1 April 2009. Immigration Officers and Customs Officers retained their own powers for the enforcement and administration of the UK's borders, although management of the new organisation was integrated and progressively officers were cross trained and empowered to deal with customs and immigration matters at the border. The Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 received Royal Assent on 21 July 2009. This allowed the concurrent exercise of customs powers by HMRC Commissioners and the Director of Border Revenue; it was the first step in overhauling immigration and customs legislation.

The UK Border Agency had a staff of 23,500 people located in over 130 countries. Overseas staff vetted visa applications and operated an intelligence and liaison network, acting as the first layer of border control for the UK. The organisation operated as the single force at the border for the UK. Local immigration teams worked within the regions of the United Kingdom, liaising with the police, HMRC, local authorities and the public.^[11] In August 2009 HM Revenue and Customs transferred several thousand customs detection officers to the agency, following Parliament agreeing to give it customs control powers. The agency then began to investigate smuggling. The agency was developing a single primary border control line at the UK border combining controls of people and goods entering the country.

The agency's E-borders programme checked travellers to and from the UK in advance of travel, using data provided by passengers via their airline or ferry operators. The organisation used automatic clearance gates at main international airports.

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The agency managed the UK Government's limit on non-European economic migration to the UK. It was responsible for in-country enforcement operations, investigating organised immigration crime and to detecting immigration offenders including illegal entrants and overstayers. The body was also responsible for the deportation of foreign national criminals at the end of sentences.

The UK Border Agency's budget combined with that of the Border Force was £2.17 billion in 2011-12. Under the spending review the agency was required to cut costs by up to 23%.^[12] At its peak the agency employed around 25,000 staff, but 5,000 posts were due to be cut by 2015 against the 2011-12 levels.^[13]

Founding Chief Executive Lin Homer left the agency in January 2011 to become the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Transport. Deputy Chief Executive Jonathan Sedgwick was acting chief until the new CEO, Rob Whiteman, took over on 26 September 2011. Sedgwick then became director of international operations and visas.^[3] In July 2011, the strategic policy functions of the agency moved to the Home Office.

Uk Border Agency Home Office

Home Secretary Theresa May announced to Parliament on 26 March 2013 that the agency would be abolished due to continuing poor performance, and replaced by two new smaller organisations which would focus on the visa system and immigration law enforcement respectively. The UKBA's performance was described as 'not good enough', partly blamed on the size of the organisation. A report by MPs also criticised the agency, and described it as 'not fit for purpose'. It was also claimed that the agency had provided inaccurate reports to the Home Affairs Select Committee over a number of years.^[9] The agency was split internally on 1 April 2013, becoming a visa and immigration service and separate immigration law enforcement service.^[14]

Powers[edit]

Staff held a mixture of powers granted to them by their status as immigration officers and customs officers.

Immigration powers[edit]

Immigration officers had the power of arrest and detention conferred on them by the Immigration Act 1971, when both at ports and inland. In practice, border force officers exercised powers under Schedule 2 of the Immigration Act 1971 and inland immigration officers under S28A-H of the Immigration Act 1971 and paragraph 17 of Schedule 2. This led to separate training for border and inland officers.

This act is applicable in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. 'Designated Immigration Officers' are port immigration officers who have been trained in detention under PACE. UK Border Agency immigration officers wear a uniform with rank insignia. Enforcement immigration officers wear body armour and carry handcuffs and ASP batons.

Customs powers[edit]

Customs officers had wide-ranging powers of entry, search and detention. The main power was to detain anyone who had committed, or who the officer had reasonable grounds to suspect had committed, any offence under the Customs and Excise Acts.^[16]

Removal of foreign nationals[edit]

The UK Border Agency occasionally removed foreign national criminals at the end of their prison terms. Over 5000 foreign national prisoners were deported each year. The agency also removed failed asylum seekers and others illegally in the UK. A 2009 report by the National Audit Office cited lack of detention space to support the asylum process. The agency had over 3000 detention spaces in removal centres run by private contractors or the Prison Service.^[17]

Immigration control[edit]

Common travel area[edit]

Immigration control within the United Kingdom is managed within a wider Common Travel Area (CTA). The CTA is an intergovernmental agreement that allows freedom of movement within an area that encompasses the UK, Isle of Man, Channel Islands (Guernsey, Jersey, Sark and Alderney) and the Republic of Ireland. Authorised entry to any of the above essentially allows entry to all the others but it is the responsibility of the person entering to ensure that they are properly documented for entry to other parts of the CTA. Despite the CTA it is still possible to be deported from the UK to the Republic of Ireland and vice versa.

Juxtaposed controls[edit]

Entry to the UK via the Channel Tunnel from France or Belgium or by ferry through selected ports in north-east France is controlled by juxtaposed immigration controls in Britain, France, and Belgium, i.e. travellers clear UK passport control in France or Belgium and those travelling to France or Belgium clear French controls while in the UK. Belgium does not maintain controls in the UK as the first Schengen country entered is France. UK Border Agency checkpoints in France are operated at Gare de Calais-Fréthun, Gare de Lille Europe, Gare de Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy, Gare d'Avignon-Centre, Channel Tunnel, Calais ferry terminal, Dunkirk ferry terminal and Gare du Nord station, Paris. A checkpoint operated at Boulogne-sur-Mer until the port closed in August 2010. United States border preclearance is an equivalent system operated by that country's equivalent to the UKBA at some airports outside the US.

Controversies[edit]

Student visas[edit]

There have also been difficulties with the management of student visas under Tier 4 of the Points-Based System. The assessment of the Independent Chief Inspector, carried out between July and August 2010, found that there was an inconsistent response towards applications, with some cases given extra time to prepare and others dismissed for minor reasons.^[18]

Dropped casework[edit]

In November 2011, the Home Affairs Select Committee issued a report that found that 124,000 deportation cases had been shelved by the UKBA. The report said the cases had been dumped in a 'controlled archive', a term used to try to hide the fact from authorities and auditors that it was a list of lost applicants.^[19]

Border checks[edit]

Following allegations that staff were told to relax some identity checks, in November 2011 the UK Home Office suspended: Brodie Clark, the Head of the Border Force;^[20] Carole Upshall, director of the Border Force South and European Operation;^[21] Graham Kyle, director of operations at Heathrow Airport.^[20] The Home Office is presently investigating allegations that Clark had agreed to 'open up the borders' at certain times in ways ministers would 'not have agreed with'.^[20] It is alleged that between July and the end of October 2011, queues at passport control were 'managed' so as not to annoy holiday makers.^[21] The BBC reported that staff may have been told not to scan biometric passports at certain times, which contain a digital image of the holder's face, which can be used to compare with the printed version and check the passport has not been forged.^[20] It is also believed that 'warning index checks' at Heathrow and Calais were also suspended, which would have applied strict security checks against official watchlists of terrorists, criminals, and deported illegal immigrants.^[22]

After Clark refused the offer to take early retirement, he was suspended and the investigation began.^[20] A two-week inquiry led by former Metropolitan Police detective Dave Wood, currently head of the agency's enforcement and crime group, sought to discover to what extent checks were scaled down, and what the security implications might have been. A second investigation, led by former MI6 official Mike Anderson, the Director General of the Home Office's strategy, immigration and international group, sought to investigate wider issues relating to the performance of UKBA regarding racism.

It was then announced on 5 November by Theresa May that an independent inquiry would also be undertaken, led by the Chief Inspector of the UK Border Agency, John Vine.^[23] The Border Force became a separate organisation on 1 March 2012.^[24]

2014 Sham Weddings Trial Collapse[edit]

In October 2014, the trial of the Reverend Nathan Ntege - accused of conducting almost 500 sham marriages at a church in Thornton Heath, South London between 2007 and 2011 - collapsed after it became apparent that evidence had been tampered with, concealed, or even possibly destroyed. As immigration officers were questioned in the witness box of the Inner London Crown Court it became clear that not only had video footage gone missing but that an investigation log had been tampered with. The trial was halted by Judge Nic Madge, who said in court: 'I am satisfied that officers at the heart of this prosecution have deliberately concealed important evidence and lied on oath”. The Judge added: “The bad faith and misconduct started in 2011, when two of the principal defendants were arrested, and has continued throughout the course of this trial. In my judgment, it has tainted the whole case. It has tainted the prosecution against all seven defendants. It is a case in which the prosecution should not be allowed to benefit from the serious misbehaviour of the officer in the case or the disclosure officer”. The Reverend Ntege and six other defendants were formally acquitted of all 17 charges, which related to marriages of convenience in order to bypass immigration laws. UK TV station Channel 4 News later reported that three immigration officers had been suspended and that the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) would be conducting an investigation. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said that it accepted that the handling of the case had fallen below acceptable standards and that it would conduct a full review.^[25]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^'UK Border Agency'. GOV.UK. 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
2. ^'Security in a global hub – Establishing the UK’s new border arrangementsArchived 6 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine'. Cabinet Office. Last updated 16 June 2009.
3. ^ ^ab'Our organisation'. UK Border Agency. 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
4. ^Fast and Fair?^{[permanent dead link]} – report on UK Border Agency by the Parliamentary Ombudsman, published 9 February 2010
5. ^ ^ab'Press release: Ombudsman publishes report on UK Border Agency'. Ombudsman.org.uk. Archived from the original on 3 April 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
6. ^'The work of the UK Border Agency (July-September 2012) - Conclusions and recommendations'. UK Parliament. 19 March 2013.
7. ^'UK Border Agency'. UK Parliament Hansard via TheyWorkForYou.com. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
8. ^'UK Border Agency's transition to Home Office'. Former UK Border Agency Website. 3 May 2013. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
9. ^ ^ab'UK Border Agency 'not good enough' and being scrapped'. BBC News. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
10. ^UK Border Agency Our organisation. Ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk (2013-04-01). Retrieved on 2013-10-23.
11. ^'Our work in your region'. UK Border Agency. 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
12. ^'UK Border Agency Business Plan'. UK Border Agency. 2011. Archived from the original on 4 June 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
13. ^'The UK Border Agency and Border Force: Progress in cutting costs and improving performance'(PDF). National Audit Office. 17 July 2012. Archived from the original(PDF) on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
14. ^'UK Border Agency's transition to Home Office'. UK Border Agency. 3 May 2013. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
15. ^'News release: Preventing drugs and other illegal goods from being smuggled into Britain'. UK Border Agency. 9 July 2008. Archived from the original on 30 December 2008.
16. ^'Section 138, Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 (c. 2)'. Office of Public Sector Information. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
17. ^'Audit Office report'. National Audit Office. 23 January 2009. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
18. ^John Oates (16 February 2011). 'UK Border Agency: Good at making cash, crap at making decisions'. The Register. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
19. ^Casciani, Dominic (4 November 2011). 'BBC News – UK Border Agency attacked for 'dumping' missing cases'. BBC. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
20. ^ ^abcde'BBC News – Head of UK border force Brodie Clark suspended'. BBC. 5 November 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
21. ^ ^abJames Slack (5 November 2011). 'UK border chief axed passport controls: Top civil servant faces sack over decision that left Britain open to terrorists and criminals Mail Online'. Daily Mail. London. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
22. ^Alan Travis, home affairs editor (5 November 2011). 'Head of UK border force suspended UK news'. The Guardian. London. Retrieved 12 April 2012.CS1 maint: Extra text: authors list (link)
23. ^Chris Mason (5 November 2011). 'BBC News – Inquiry into border force passport check claims'. BBC. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
24. ^'Theresa May to split up UK Border Agency'. BBC News. 20 February 2012. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
25. ^Israel, Simon (23 October 2014). 'Trial collapses after immigration officials 'lie under oath''. channel4.com. Channel 4 News. Retrieved 30 October 2014.

External links[edit]

This link takes you to Visa & Immigration Service